The Big Four: Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons
by ROTBTDLuver
Summary: When guardian Jack frost is given the mission to find the missing princess of Corona in the past, Jack befriends 3 unlikely teens who help him w/ his journey. however, as the group travels throughout the land, two villains join forces to take out the group for their own selfish reasons. reviews would be greatly appreciated. lots of Jack X Rapunzel X Eugene, a little bit of Merricup
1. Prologue

Prologue

"D'aahhh!" A man's scream of anger echoed off the walls of an underground kingdom. Hatred raced through his black veins and deep shadows crossed his narrow face. His face became hard and his golden eyes sparked in fury. Humiliation tore at his cold heart and his jagged, crooked teeth ground together. He yanked at his raven black hair until he could contain his fury no longer. His rough hands grabbed the closest object a dark, steel black cage, and threw it into a wall with a force so great it collided with the dilapidated wall and shattered into black sand.

The brick walls seemed to close in on him, reminding him of the centuries he had hidden behind them. His nostrils flared and he pressed his hands against the wall beside him, the rough bricks forming indentations into his grey hands. He closed his golden eyes and silence echoed off the walls, the cages, the deep shadows and the ground. Slowly he opened his bright eyes and released the wall from his clutches. He walked away from the wall, his thin, jet black robe dragging on the chiseled ground behind him. His head remained bowed as he walked into the shadows and disappeared.

He had been betrayed, abandoned and left to rot in the shadows once again. His own fear betrayed him, making him weaker than he already had become. His anger returned and he came out of the shadows. Failure ripped at his skin. He appeared in a different section of his gloomy kingdom. Before him was a small black globe. He slowly walked around it, his eyes watching the millions of flickering lights. Every single one of those dots burned his eyes and infuriated him more. Oh how he loathed those lights, each reminding him of his failure. He had loved it when he could glance at that black globe and see only a few flickering lights, instead of millions.

At that moment, a thin beam of moonlight peeked through a crack and shown down on his shoulder. His golden eyes narrowed, his nostrils flared and what would be his eyebrows pulled together. His mouth opened and a snarl formed in the back of his throat. His shoulders straightened and his grey hands formed ridged fists, his knuckles turning bone white.

"How dare you!?" He yelled, his low, ragged voice echoing off the walls. "Old friend, you will pay for what you have done to me!" He screamed up at the crack off in the distance. "I will come back, and when I do; the guardians will wish they had never been born! And I will get Jack Frost and all of his friends, if it's the last thing I do!" The Nightmare King disappeared into the shadows.


	2. Chapter 1: I am Jack Frost

A cold breeze blew the last of the remaining leaves from the barren trees in the months of winter and tightly compacted snow glittered on the ground. Clear, swirling ice cycles formed among the twig-like branches and a lone Grey Squirrel chattered away as it stored the rest of its assortment of nuts and seeds at the base of a tree among the snow. A woodpecker was heard hammering away at a tree off into the distance and laughter filled the air. Several children ran around in heavy jackets, their small hands covered by gloves. They happily ran around in the small clearing, which was surrounded by the barren forest. Their gleeful laughter echoed off of the trees as they threw snowballs at each other in a large snowball fight. Their feet slid across the snow as they barely managed to dodge snowball after snowball.

A young boy around the age of eight laughed as his friend, Monty, – a boy with wild blonde hair and round, red glasses – was hit by a round of snowballs and collapsed. The young boy bent down and compacted several handfuls of snow in his small hands. His dark brown eyes scanned the forest, searching the winter wonderland for his next target. Finally, he singled out a green scarf sticking out the side of a tree and he ducked down, sneaking up on it.

As he drew closer, the boy noticed it was a girl he was friends with, Pippa; before she could see him, he threw the single snowball in his hands at her and hit her on the shoulder, his fur hat sliding back on his large head.

"Jamie Bennett, no fair!" She threw the tiny uncompact snowball in her hands at him. Jamie laughed hard, whipping away the snow from his dark jacket. Jamie was a young boy with a round face and a long nose. He had thin lips and thin brown eyebrows. His brown eyes were round and large and his messy brown hair hung in his eyes sometimes. His skin was lightly tanned and he had small hands. He often wore a tan, long sleeved shirt, a red and blue vest and a pair of jeans. He also wore a teal and white fur hat. Pippa was the same age as Jamie. She had lighter brown hair, but the same colored eyes. She was barely taller than Jamie and always wore a tan beanie. Her hair stopped at her chin and she wore a green shirt, a white and green scarf; she too, wore a pair of jeans. They both wore sneakers. Pippa had a shy smile and a round nose. Jamie adjusted his fur hat over his spikey brown hair and then formed a large snowball in his hands. Pippa did the same. Together, Jamie and Pippa threw their snowballs at the African – American twins, Claude and Caleb, spikey haired Cupcake and a few other friends of theirs.

"Hey!" Cupcake yelled in her deep voice and shook off the snow from her knees.

"Look out!" Claude called out as his brother, Caleb, was hit in the face.

Monty was hit with another round of snowballs. "Oof!"

Giggling, Pippa and Jamie hid behind their trees, forming more snowball piles.

"Watch out; duck!" Jamie warned as a frozen snowball sped towards them.

"Not fair, you can't use your powers!" Pippa called once the snowball had crashed into a rock. A slightly deep laugh echoed off of the trees and another frozen snowball was sent flying through the air. The two children dropped to the ground, dodging the hard object.

Among the children, was a teenage boy, everything about him was different; well, except for the fact that he loved fun as much as they did. The cold didn't burn his nose or cause his breath to fog and the chilling wind didn't freeze him to the bone like the rest of them. In fact, he wore a light sweatshirt that was medium blue in color and seemed almost too big for him. Part of the chest and shoulders of his blue jacket were decorated in crystal forms similar to Jack Frost. It had a baggy hood and the strings hung loosely to his stomach. He wore brown pants that stopped above his ankles and the last several inches were detailed with the same crystal forms to resemble an almost mummy-wrap style. He also walked barefoot, even in the snow.

His light complexions made it easier for him to blend into the snow. His skin was as pale as pale could be and his thin irises were ice blue and an almost snowflake pattern gleamed in the beautiful streaks of them. His eyebrows were black and on the thinner side of thick. His jaw was very angular and square and his nose was thin and small, slanting downwards. His hair was snow white, almost platinum blonde, and hung over his forehead. Several chunks of it formed together to form random spikes that defied gravity on top of his head.

His pale hands and arms were long and his ears were very triangular in shape. In his hands, he always seemed to be carrying a long wooden staff that was about the same height as he was. The end of the staff curved in several angles to form a three-quarter circle. The middle of it was frozen at the part where he touched it the most. The strange boy easily worked with the snow and ice around him, agilely dodging the snowballs that were flung at him. He laughed deeply at the disappointment on the children's' faces as they realized that they didn't hit him.

"Oh come on! You're no fun!" Pippa called to the boy sarcastically, hiding behind her tree as another snowball was flung at her. "Hey!" she growled. Jamie laughed.

"Let's get 'em!" Monty called out, pushing up his red glasses.

"Get 'em Claude!" Caleb shouted to his twin.

"I will!" Claude grinned evilly, stepping towards the boy with a snowball in each of his hands. Grinning, the teenage boy turned and sprinted into the forest, his wooden staff in his right hand. The group of children took off after him. Pippa left her post at her tree and chased after them.

Staying behind, Jamie laughed to himself, knowing they wouldn't get him. He bent down behind the large tree and began to form tightly compacted snowballs in his tiny hands, placing them into a large pile. Jamie grinned, one tooth missing on the left side of his mouth.

"I'll get you this time, Frost." He whispered to himself, picking up a single snowball from the top of the pile he had made. Laughter drew closer as Jamie's friends chased the boy back towards the clearing. Jamie peeked around his tree, searching for the strange teenage boy with white hair.

As if on cue, the boy ran into the small clearing, clearly ahead of the others. Grinning, Jamie threw the single snowball in his hand at the boy.

"Hey, Jack! Think fast!" He called as the snowball drew extremely close.

The teenage boy turned his head in time to watch the heavily compacted snowball collide with his face. He froze and stood there, trying to get the snow out of his now stinging, red eyes, vulnerable to the young kids that were chasing him. The children finally caught up to him and threw their snowballs at his back, soaking his baggy sweatshirt.

"Alright, alright! You got me!" Jack shook his head and shoulders, as if to shake off the snow from his face and back, and blinked his red, irritated eyes.

"Way to go, Jamie!" Pippa laughed gleefully, jumping up and down in the snow, her brown snow-soaked hair clinging to her forehead.

Jack walked over to Jamie, his spikey white hair bouncing in the process, and slung his arm over the young boy's shoulders, shaking him lightly in approval. "Nice hit kid; you've gotten better since last time." He blinked, washing out his eyes.

"- and smarter." Jamie giggled, jumping up. "I knew you were coming back over here!" he sighed.

"Yeah, yeah." Jack slightly rolled his eyes at the boy and tightened his grip around his staff, which turned blue, placing it into the snow. Ice crept across the snow towards Jamie and froze to his shoes.

"Hey!" Jamie jumped up once he realized what was happening; freeing himself from the frozen snow. Pippa giggled and jack laughed half- heartedly.

"Hey, Jamie, do I hear your mom? I think she just called 'don't let Jack Frost nip at your shoes'!" Claude laughed.

"Funny, Claude." Jamie's face fell. His eyebrows pulled together and his lips formed a ridged line. Jack's eyebrows rose in concern; However, as he glanced down at the young boy beside him, Jack noticed the hand that was hidden behind Jamie's back. Jack smiled to himself, seeing the snowball clenched in his hand. A minute later, with a quick jerk, Jamie's arm tossed the single snowball in his hand at Claude.

The unsuspecting boy was easily hit in the neck, some of the snow falling down his jacket. Shock crossed his face. "Ah, that's cold!" Claude ran away. All the children laughed hard. Jack patted Jamie's shoulder, winking at him.

"Your aim; however, has improved the most, Bennett." Jack bent down beside him. Jamie just grinned, and then adjusted his fur hat.

Hours later, after returning the others, Jack walked Jamie home. "Did you have a fun day today, kid?" Jack asked, slinging his staff over his shoulder as they walked.

"Yeah!" Jamie grinned at his side. "The snowball fight was awesome." He added.

Jack laughed as the cold wind blew his hair out of his face. "That's 'cause you hit me." He replied.

"In the face." Jamie giggled

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" He rolled his eyes.

Jamie looked up at Jack. "Did I tell you that I have another loose tooth?"

Jack looked down at the boy. "No, but now I know. I'll tell Toothiana for you." He responded.

"Thanks!" Jamie grinned, the hole from the tooth before showing.

"It definitely won't be as fun loosing this tooth as the last one." Jack spoke.

"Yeah." Jamie replied. They both thought back to the day when Jack had caused a freak sledding accident. Jamie had been sledding that day when Jack formed a road of ice and his sled went sliding along it throughout the town of Burgess. After finally crashing, Jamie had been hit by a couch that fell out of a moving truck, which knocked out the tooth on his left side. "That was a pretty good day."

Jack thought back to that day. "I suppose it was." He replied.

Slowly, the pair came upon Jamie's house. It was an average two story house with a two car garage, but there was a single old car. Jamie's mother was a single hard-working mother who took care of her two kids, Jamie and his little sister, Sophie.

Before Jack had become a guardian, he had watched over Sophie for a while. She had been one of the first children to actually see him. She had wild blond hair, unevenly spaced teeth and large green eyes. She had a button nose and mixed-matched clothes.

Wearily, Jack looked up at the sky, the sun low to the horizon. Thick, puffy clouds covered the sky and turned an assortment of reds, oranges, pinks and yellows. The sky became dark and long shadows crossed Jamie and Jack's faces.

"Is it that time?" Jamie asked the guardian.

"I'm afraid so, kid." Jack smirked. Jamie's young face saddened, his large brown eyes suddenly looking down. "Hey, I'll be back soon!" he smiled, bending down in front of the boy.

"Yeah, I know." Jamie sighed. "I just wish you could stay longer… and more often." He added.

"Jamie, I am a guardian, it's what I do; I have other kids I have to watch over and protect." Jack placed his large hand over Jamie's smaller shoulder.

"Yeah, but how many of them can actually see you?" He spoke feebly.

"They don't have to see me in order for me to protect them. I protected you from Pitch, even though you didn't know I existed yet." Jack replied, grinning lightly.

"Good point." Jamie sighed. "Just… come back soon, okay?!" He hugged Jack.

"I'll come back as soon as I can, Jamie." Jack hugged him back. After a few seconds, Jamie reluctantly let go of Jack and stepped backwards.

"I'll see you around then, Jack Frost." He grinned.

Jack stood up slowly. "'See you around, Jamie Bennett." He added, and then ordered the wind.

"Bye!" Jamie waved as a strong wind picked up the frost spirit and lifted him and his staff into the dark sky.

"You be safe, Jamie!" Jack called before disappearing into the night sky.

Flying high into the sky, and feeling like the king of the world, Jack was blown around like a delicate feather in the wind. Jack reached into his sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a small spherical object the size of a baseball. The sphere was split into thirds, the top and bottom sections were white; however, the middle section was clear and filled with nothing. It was one of the many snow globes that Nicolas St. North had given Jack. He shook it lightly a couple of times and some snowflakes appeared and fell on the inside. "North Pole." He spoke quietly before throwing the globe into the sky ahead of him. The snow globe disappeared and a large white vortex appeared before him. Jack flew straight into the vortex and landed in an icy winter wonderland. In the world around him, there was nothing, except snow, and lots of it.

However, one right turn later revealed a large Antarctic cliff that held up and supported the magnificent workshop where Nicolas St. north lived and worked. Taking in a deep breath of the smell of snow, Jack ordered the wind and flew towards the gates of the massive building. Jack landed lightly and then slid across the snow as if he had a snowboard, running into the large beast that stood guard at the wooden double doors.

The creature was both larger and taller than Jack and was covered in a mountain of fur. His face was flat, his nose looked more like a cat's and a long, furry mustache hung down to his large chest.

"Oh hey, Phil." Jack spoke to the Yeti that he had always gotten in trouble with. The beast glared down at him with his large green eyes and grunted. Jack laughed lightly, his white teeth glinting like the snow. He shoved through the front doors and walked into the crowded workshop. Many Yetis and Elves ran in every direction, toys filled their arms. Together, they raced against the clock, for Christmas was just around the corner.

"Oh look, it's Frostbite." A deep voice spoke to the left of Jack.

"Bunny, what are you doing here?!" Jack asked, amused. He turned to face the 'overgrown fur ball'. The large rabbit stood, leaning against the wall, his shoulders and chest were the closest to the paper covered wall, his hips and legs were propped farther out in a leisurely position. His left leg was crossed over his right.

Bunny's real name was actually E. Aster Bunnymund; however, the guardians and the children of the world called him Bunny or even Bunnymund. Bunny was at least six feet tall and, from what could be seen, muscular. His ears stood above his head and he had a small, upwards facing cotton tail. Although in the form of a Pooka Rabbit – a large rabbit species that was wiped out centuries ago -, Bunny stood and walked much like a human; however, his legs were bent and his feet were large and awkward. His large head was slanted and fur sloped down to form a single spike on either side of his face. His eyes were pastel green and black almost flower–like designs decorated his mostly blue fur. His snout, belly and paws were white, while the inside of his massive ears were a pastel pink.

Bunnymund always carried boomerangs with him and although he was tough and often cranky, on the inside, he was like everyone else: compassionate, brave, fearful, and at  
>times, childish.<p>

Once putting away their differences after they had fought off an old foe, Bunny and Jack had gotten along fairly well. However, when they first met, Bunny's strangely Australian accent confused Jack so much that it made him think that Bunny was a Kangaroo.

"I could ask the same thing, mate." The rabbit replied, moving from his spot on the wall. "Toothiana and I are helping North with Christmas; you know, since he helped us with Easter and the teeth." He finally answered Jack's question. Bunny cupped a large paw to his face and whispered in a low voice. "Get me out of here!"

Jack laughed so hard that his face turned light pink. Breathing, he shook his head. "Suck it up soldier." Bunny muttered something under his breath. "Is Sandy here?" He asked.

"Nah, he'll be here in the mornin'; 'doin' his job." Bunny bent down on his long blue legs.

"Ah." Jack slung his staff over his shoulders and walked towards the globe.

The globe was a massive sphere in the center of the workshop. The green continents were covered in glowing yellow lights, each one representing a child that believes in the guardians.

Bunny hopped after him. "So, why are you here, Jack?" He asked, leaning over the railing.

"I just figured I would come and visit before Manny gives me another mission…" Jack shrugged. Bunnymund just nodded.

There was a gasp farther away and then a woman's voice trilled throughout the building. "Jack!"

"Hey Tooth." Jack grinned as the tooth fairy flew towards him and hugged him tightly. "Nice to see you, too." He hugged her back.

"What are you doing here?!" She let go of him and hovered above the ground. "I thought you were visiting Jamie."

"I did visit with him; but Manny's going to give me another mission soon and I thought I would stop by and visit." Jack replied. Toothiana nodded.

"And apparently stalk up on snow globes, mate. Your pockets are empty." Bunny added. "How did you run out so fast?" Jack shrugged. Bunnymund rolled his eyes. "Such a Frostbite." He muttered. Jack chuckled lightly.

"Well, welcome back, Jack!" Tooth grinned. Jack smiled back, his white teeth glinting in the lights of the building. Tooth gasped. "Your teeth still sparkle!" She beamed, intensely looking at them, taking in every detail.

Awkward, Jack scratched the back of his head.

Toothiana was one of the five guardians. Her small body was both human and hummingbird. The mostly human portion of her body was covered in vibrantly colored feathers ranging from yellow to blue, though most of them were teal. She had extremely small feet that she almost never walked on and she had thin, delicate arms. Her thin lips were peach colored, she had a straight, narrow nose, small buck teeth and large violet eyes. Her darker eyelashes were long and would have touched her eyebrows, reckon she had any. The bridge of her nose and from her forehead up was covered in green feathers that formed at a point at the back of her small head, a large yellow feather centered in the middle, and the back feathers were royal blue. Two yellow feathers hung down on each side of her head as if they were earrings. The rest of her visible skin was a light tan and her cheek bones could not be seen. Toothiana also had four sets of wings that were an almost pink-purple; however, they reflected in an almost rainbow-like way in the light.

Bunny snickered before yawning. "Where's North?" He finally asked. Toothiana shrugged and flew towards the top of the workshop, glancing around to see if she could find North. Looking down at the two guardians, she shrugged once more.

Below her, a couple of one-foot tall Elves scuttled by as a yeti shoved through them. "North?" Tooth called from the globe.

"What do you want?" North's Russian accent called from his office. "I'm very busy!"

Tooth flew over to his office door and peeked around the thick, wooden door. "I just wanted to let you know that you have a visitor." She spoke.

"Huh?" North pulled himself out of his large swivel chair and stood. He walked over to Tooth and glanced out the side of the large wooden door to see who his guest was. Jack slowly walked over, his staff in his hand. "Ah, Jack! Nice of you to join us!" he spoke, walking through the door to join the others.

"I'm sorry to stop by at such a busy time." Jack grinned, leaning against his staff.

"'s no big deal; the Yetis have got this." North crossed his large arms over his belly.

Nicolas St. North was a tall man – in fact, he was much taller than the guardians, even Bunny- . He wore large bluish pants that stopped halfway on his large belly and a long, red-sleeved shirt, the bottom of it covered in a red and almost white plaid. His long white beard had strips of grey in it and both his beard and thin mustache hung down to his belly and he had thick black eyebrows. His large nose was an almost anchor shape, his wide eyes were blue and his white hair was receding. He also had small ears.

On his massive arms were black tattoos; the word 'Naughty' on his right arm and 'Nice' on his left, surrounded by red and black ink designs. He wore brown boots and when he was outside of the workshop, he wore a black fur hat and a large red coat outlined in black fur.

A massive Yeti huffed from behind him, his hair at the top of his head placed in a bushy ponytail. "What?" North asked. The Yeti just shook his head and turned around, continuing his work. North shrugged in confusion and Jack quirked an eyebrow.

"So, Jack, how long are you going to stay?" Toothiana asked lightly, hovering next to the frost spirit.

Jack glanced down at her. "Probably just for the night." He replied before sitting down beside the windowsill, his favorite place in the entire workshop.

"Okay." Tooth nodded thoughtfully.

"You know, you're always hoppin' around, mate." Bunnymund spoke, sitting on his hindquarters.

"What? I'm Jack Frost!" Jack replied. "I'm a nomad. Always have been, always will be." He shrugged, propping his staff against the wall.

"Such a frostbite." Bunny rolled his green eyes.

Jack scowled. "Is that your answer to everything I say?"

"You betcha, mate." Bunny responded.

After a short silence between the guardians, Jack spoke. "Have you guys heard anything on Pitch?" he changed the subject.

"Nothing at all." North responded.

"Really?" He asked, shocked. Tooth flew over to jack and sat beside him.

She shrugged. "After the whole Easter thing, he just… kind of… disappeared-"

"Like a shadow." Bunnymund scratched his ear, finishing tooth's sentence.

"Well, funny thing about that, he is one…" Jack though out loud.

"Yeah, well, 'e did the same thing more than 300 years ago, mate." Bunny spoke.

Tooth nodded once again. "You know he'll be back..." She shook her head grimly, scratching at a feather on her arm. "He never gives up."

"He's not coming today though." North responded.

"Good riddance." Jack muttered.

"Ah," Bunny dismissed Jack's comment. "We'll be ready for him, whenever he returns." Bunnymund rose to his feet.

"Let's just not worry about him right now." Tooth spoke. "Pitch would be stupid to come out of the shadows after his failure this year. Besides, right now we need to focus on Christmas; it's just around the corner." She added, looking at North.

"Right!" North turned around and glanced over the railing at the working yetis below. "Don't like it, paint it red!" He called.

"Whatab!" A Yeti below let out a huge groan and mumbled loudly to himself. Jack chuckled.

"Oh, before I forget; Tooth, Jamie has another loose tooth." Jack informed her.

Toothiana beamed. "Let's hope he flossed well." Jack laughed lightly. Scoffing, Bunnymund rolled his eyes. "Saw that bunny." She added. Bunny sighed.

"C'mon, mate, let's go help with Christmas." He hopped off.

"Alright." Toothiana pushed herself off of the bench and flew off, diving into the busy workshop.

Sighing, Jack stiffly stood up, grabbed his staff and walked after the others. There was a tiny squeak by Jack's eat and he turned to find Baby Tooth, one of Tooth's fairies. She was the size of an apple. She more hummingbird like than Toothiana was and she had a long, brown nose like a hummingbird. Unlike Tooth, the only skin that that showed on Baby Tooth was her tiny hands and below her nose. Everything else was the same; her tiny feet, pink-purple wings, beautiful violet eyes, peach colored lips and a yellow centered feather at the top of her head. However, Baby Tooth couldn't speak, but she could make adorable sounds like a mix of a baby and some kind of animal.

"Hey Baby Tooth!" Jack grinned.

"Hiyeee!" Baby Tooth squeaked. Jack laughed. She landed on his shoulder and Jack continued walking.

Eventually, Jack found Bunnymund and Toothiana surrounded by wrapped presents, several floors below.

"Took you long enough, mate." Bunny muttered upon Jack's arrival. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Oh, there you are Baby Tooth!" Toothiana grinned happily. Baby Tooth squeaked in reply. "I see she finally found you, Jack; quote 'she missed hanging out'." Tooth giggled, making air quotes with her hands. Baby Tooth lightly snorted. Jack chuckled under his breath.

"Ya missed me, huh?" He glanced down at the little creature on his shoulder. A slight grin appeared on her small face and she shrugged. Both Jack and Tooth laughed.

"Ugh." Bunny groaned, lifting several wrapped gifts.

"Something wrong, Bunny?" Jack asked.

"What? Oh, nah, not at all, mate." Bunny turned and began walking towards the sleigh, his arms full. He started to mutter under his breath.

"Heard that, Bunny!" Tooth called after him. Jack snickered and Bunny grew silent.

"What'd he say?" Jack asked once Bunny was gone.

Tooth shrugged. "Nothing you need to worry about." She smiled.

"Okay." He turned around and grabbed a load of presents. Tooth's smile fell and turned into a sad smirk. With an inaudible sigh, she too grabbed a load and they flew off to the sleigh.

Sunlight slowly began to flow through the windows of the workshop and filled the magical building with golden light. The light danced across the walls and shone through Jack's eyelids. Upon waking from the light's radiating warmth, Jack wearily watched the sunrise. The darkness receded and the sky became the periwinkle blue it normally was.

It was then, that Jack noticed the golden sand plane off in the distance. "Right on time, Sandy." Jack sleepily grinned and leapt from the windowsill where he sat. he lightly landed on his feet and slid back his baggy hood from his head, revealing a sleeping Baby Tooth on his shoulder. He carefully moved her into his pocket. His wooden staff in hand, he walked over to the railing in front of the large globe and leaned over it. Jack glanced past the many floors of hard working Yetis and small red Elves with pointed hats messing around.

"Sandy's here!" Jack called down. Toothiana groggily peeked up, blinked, and then flew to Jack.

"Where is he?" She sleepily asked, rubbing her eyes. Jack turned around and glanced out the frost covered window, seeing the golden glint of the plane.

"He just pulled in." He replied. Tooth nodded thoughtfully.

"Have you seen Baby Tooth?" She asked.

"She's in my pocket; she fell asleep on my shoulder, I just didn't want to wake her." He carefully pulled her sleeping form and showed her to Tooth. Golden teeth floated above her head. Tooth quietly laughed and lightly petted Baby Tooth's head, and then she smiled at Jack, who placed her back into his jacket.

"Thanks for watching over her, Jack." Toothiana placed her hand on his shoulder.

"No problem." He grinned. Tooth was about to speak when Sandy joined them. She dropped her arm and turned to face Sandy.

Sandy's full name was Sanderson Moonsnoozie, but he was often called The Sandman. Sandy was also the guardian of dreams. He was a short man that stood around three feet tall. His skin was a vague gold and his hands were very small. His head was large and round and his bright, golden hair formed several spikes on top of his head as if to form a wide spiked crown. His large, round eyes were the exact same color, bags formed underneath his eyes and he had a huge, round nose. Like Tooth, Sandy also had small feet. He wore a sparkly, golden sleeping robe and tiny golden slippers. Also, as the guardian of dreams, Sandy was not able to speak; however, he could use images in sand.

"Welcome back, Sandy!" Toothiana greeted him. The corners of his mouth pulled up and he waved lightly. "Did you have a good night?" She asked. Sandy shrugged.

After a short, silent minute, a golden sand present formed above his spikey head.

"Christmas is going okay, slow, but okay. Its hard work filling up the sleigh; I swear, by the time it's Christmas Eve, I'll have thick muscles on my arms!" She replied to her wordless friend's question. He nodded thoughtfully. Jack snorted lightly.

Suddenly, a crescent moon formed above his head and he pointed up at jack.

"Manny wants to talk to me?" Jack asked, unconsciously pointing to himself. Sandy nodded. "Alright, I'll talk to him in a bit." Jack replied. Sandy silently sighed and rolled his golden eyes. The three guardians strolled over to North's office.

"Morning, North." Toothiana spoke as she cracked open the massive wooden door.

"'Morning." North looked up from the small toy in his hands. "Ah! Sandy, nice of you to join us!" North smiled and set down the object. Sandy shrugged. "I trust you had a good night." Sandy shrugged once more.

"Oi, glad to see ya, mate." Bunny hopped into the room. Sandy grinned.

After a lengthened amount of time with the other guardians, Jack walked over to North's office alone. "Hey, North, is there a way I could get a few more snow globes?" he asked.

"How did you run out so fast?" North glanced down at him.

"I didn't, it's just that Manny is going to send me on another mission and I have a feeling that it's going to be a long one. I just don't want to run out." Jack explained.

"Alright." North nodded, giving Jack five baseball sized snow globes. "Don't use them all at once."

Jack laughed. "I won't."

"Good." North smirked.

Moonlight then broke through the clouds outside, shone through the windows and created an almost spotlight on Jack, which warmed his back. "I guess I better go and say good-bye to everybody…" He spoke.

"Safe travels Jack." North patted his shoulder.

"Good luck with Christmas." Jack waved before leaving North's office. "And thanks for the snow globes!"

"Thanks, and you're welcome!" North laughed.

Toothiana was hovering by Jack's favorite spot, watching the sudden blizzard outside. Her wings flapped leisurely, but her head was slightly bowed and her arms were weakly crossed across her chest.

"You okay, Tooth?" Jack walked up to her.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, everything fine." She turned around and smiled at him.

"Ok… I came to say good-bye." Jack spoke.

"It's that time already?" Toothiana asked.

"Yeah, I've made Manny wait too long." Jack laughed, leaning against his staff.

"Ah." She smirked. "In that case, safe travels Jack. Come back and visit sometime." Tooth hugged him.

"Thanks." He hugged her back, grinning. "I'll visit if I'm not busy." He laughed and pulled away. Tooth beamed. "See ya, Tooth." He formed a snowflake in his hands, whirling it around his fingers before releasing it. The magnificently formed snowflake landed on Tooth's straight nose and melted quickly. She giggled, her violet eyes now crossed.

"Bye, Jack." She looked back at him.

Smiling, Jack turned around and waved to Sandy. Sandy grinned and simply waved back.

"See ya guys." Jack walked to the door.

"See ya, mate." Bunny spoke as he joined the others.

"Bye, Bunny!" Jack lightly waved at the massive rabbit before pushing through the doors. He stepped outside, into the harsh blizzard and was whisked away into the stormy sky. The wind carried him off and above the massive workshop, to the small cliff above it. Jack landed lightly on the thick mounds of snow on his bare feet. He pulled a snow globe out of his pocket.

"Burgess." He called into the wind, tossing the object. The snow globe disappeared before the wind could whisk it away and a large blue vortex portal opened ahead of Jack. Jack flew straight into it and appeared into his home just outside of the town of Burgess. Jack landed lightly on the ice of his frozen pond; drawing shapes with his wooden staff, decorating the pond with Jack Frost ice crystals. He slowly sat down and crossed his staff over his lap.

"So, where am I going next, Manny?" Jack stared up at the moon, finally answering his calls. The Man in the Moon responded by shining moonlight down on Jack, warming his pale skin. A light breeze blew through Jack's hair and three shadows appeared before him.

The first shadow was a sun, whose rays radiated from the circle in an almost flower-petal like way. The second shadow was of a strange creature, who lay curled up in a ball. Its face was long and wide and an ear or a horn, perhaps, came out the back of its head. A large wing was folded above its head and small body and a long tapering tail that ended in a larger fin. Jack's eyebrows pulled together in confusion as he tried to figure out what the creature was. Unsuccessful, he glanced at the third and final shadow. It was a sword with a rounded handle. Behind it were four rings that crossed over and under each other to form a perhaps Celtic pattern. Jack waited for the moon to explain.

_Jack, I must say by far, that this will be your most complicated and life long journey. For this mission, your fate will be tied with three others. But in order to do so, you must travel back in time-_

"Travel back in time?!" Jack interrupted. "How am I supposed to do that!?"

_The snow globes that North gave you possess magic, they will take you there._

"Alright," Jack sighed. "How is this going to work?"

_It's a long story and hard to explain. I'll begin two-hundred forty-eight years ago. A princess was born in the kingdom of Corona. Days after her birth, she was kidnapped by a greedy, old woman who sought revenge, for the kingdom had taken something from her. She whisked away the child and neither has been seen since. It is your destiny to save the princess and return her to kingdom._

"Saving princesses, my specialty." Jack sighed.

_Be thoughtful Jack Frost, for your parents grieved for you, too. _The moon spoke. _Now, please, let me finish. In order to find her, your fate must be tied with three others. You will need to find a lost girl with a dream, a runaway girl with a struggle, and a sorrow-filled boy with a talent._

"How will I find them?" Jack asked after a short silence.

_It will vary. One of them will find you. The others you will find. It won't be too hard. I'll be there every step of the way._

"Alright, where am I going and what time period?" Jack gazed up at the bright moon.

_Berk; 1000 A.D. _The moon replied. _Good luck, Jack._

"Berk; what kind of name is that?" Jack rose to his feet. The moon didn't respond. Jack reached into his pocket and pulled a snow globe out. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He sighed and shook the spherical object. "Berk; 1000 A.D." He spoke.

Jack lightly tossed the snow globe, which bounced off the ice of the frozen lake and formed a large green vortex that was circular in shape and about five feet by four feet. Tightly gripping his staff, Jack breathed in deeply and closed his ice blue eyes. "Good-bye present, hello past." He exhaled, opened his eyes and stepped in the almost summer-green portal.


	3. Chapter 2: Berk

Chapter Two: Berk

"Whoa!" Jack tumbled out of the portal. He easily rolled two somersaults before crashing into a tree. "Ugh." He now found himself in an upside–down position with his legs against a heavily- barked tree, his upper torso now rested against thick, tough grass that poked through his clothes.

Jack's head spun wildly and it took him several minutes to regain control. Finally, he turned his head and struggled to sit up. "Alright, where's my staff?" He glanced around until he noticed his wooden staff sticking out of a patch of mud nearby. Jack sighed, shakily stood and then walked to his staff. He reached out to grab the staff, when he recoiled backwards in shock. "My clothes!" He gasped.

Jack no longer wore his blue hoodie. Instead, he wore a long-sleeved shirt that was white in color. The fabric rested smoothly against his skin; it was loosely woven and fairly thick. Jack quickly recognized the fabric and he grabbed at his shoulder, finding the fabric of the brown cape that was clipped around his neck. It hung down to his waist, but the cape had been modified for the time period he was in; it was now covered in thick brown fur and it became incrusted with Jack's ice crystals. He glanced down and noticed the brown vest that stopped inches above his waist, it too, now fur. Although his clothes were different, Jack still wore the same brown pants.

"Heh." He laughed. Jack hadn't worn these clothes in more than six decades.

No longer shocked by the sight of his colonial, now middle aged clothes, Jack yanked his staff out of the mud and looked at the area around him. Massive pine trees surrounded him, their trunks heavily armored with thick protective bark. The branches didn't start until twenty feet high and each branch was covered in jagged, long pine needles and plump pine cones. Tough, uneven grass sprouted every few feet. The forest floor was covered in yellow, dead pine needles and soggy, damp earth and mud. Jack breathed in the smell of rain and sighed.

Jack turned around and squinted off into the distance. "What is that?" He asked himself. He began to walk towards it, but kicked something on the ground and froze. Jack glanced down and noticed a snow globe. He automatically reached for his jacket pocket. "Oh, right." He muttered to himself, remembering he no longer had his modern clothes. Jack picked up the eight scattered snow globes and contemplated what to do with them.

After a moment of thinking, Jack carefully placed the snow globes in a pile at his bare feet. He then created a belt out of ice and slung it over his shoulder and across his body. One by one, Jack froze a handle on each snow globe and hung it on the belt.

Satisfied with his snow globe transportation, Jack once more continued towards whatever was ahead. Using his staff as a walking stick, Jack observed the area around him as he walked. Occasionally, he would see a bird fly from one tree to the next and an animal would rustle in a bush or fern that surrounded every other pine tree. Jack leapt over a fallen tree and squinted once more at the scene ahead. The trees became fewer and thinned out. Warm sunlight crept into the forest and Jack gasped in awe.

Before him was a vast ocean and a small portion of land to the right of it. The ocean was a sea green and the color clashed against the periwinkle blue sky. Just a little to the right of it was a sloping piece of land covered completely in the tough green grass that poked at Jack's bare feet. Along the land was a small village, whose houses and buildings looked as if a ship had been cut in half, hamburger style. The front of the buildings were filled in by a thick wall of wood, a heavy door and a small set of steps made from chiseled rock. The front half of each building was framed by more wood and triangular spikes were placed in a dragon back style that gave these ancient buildings a mysterious, yet awe inspiring look.

Every one hundred feet lied massive twenty foot tall torches formed by metal and wood. Farther off, wooden bridges and ports led to the not too far off Atlantic Ocean. In the distance, Jack could see ships with massive white sails rocking in the water.

"You know, for a name as stupid as Berk, this place looks pretty awesome!" Jack grinned, pausing in the tree line; dramatically digging his staff into the ground as if he were posing for a portrait. "So Manny, what exactly am I supposed to do here?" He asked, leaning against his staff.

_In Berk, you must find the sorrow-filled boy with a talent. You'll know it when you find him. He keeps to himself and is an outsider compared to most of the teens his age. He is almost always followed by a black creature. _The Moon responded.

"A black creature?" Jack asked.

_Yes. _Was all the Moon replied.

Jack sighed. "Okay. Does this kid believe in me?"

_Jack, your legend originated from Viking culture. Every child here believes in you. _Manny informed him.

"I originated from Viking legends? Wait, does this mean I'm stuck dealing with a teenage Viking? Manny, you need to tell me these things!" Jack responded.

The Moon sighed. _It's not as complicated as you're making it. Just find the boy._

"Okay…" Jack gripped his staff and flew quickly to the nearest building. "Hmm, if I were a teenage Viking, where would I be?" Jack thought for a minute. "Training to be the best Viking?"

_Pfft, not even close, Jack. I told you he was different. _

"Okay. So he's different, not the typical Viking, he has a talent, he's unhappy and is followed by a black creature. So if I were him, I'd be in a dark room or somewhere in the forest." Jack thought out loud.

_That's a start._ The Moon sighed.

"I'll search the village since I'm already here." Jack mumbled. "Is there anything else I should know about this kid?"

_He has a prosthetic leg. The rest is for me to know and you to find out._

"I'm looking for a _Cripple_? No wonder the kid's sorrow-filled." Jack emphasized Cripple, moving along the side of the building. The Moon didn't answer. Jack peeked around the corner and his eyes widened.

Before him was a beast the size of a dinosaur. The massive beast stood on two wide legs. Each foot had three long, curved, black claws in the front and a single claw in the back, just a bit higher on the leg. Its long blue legs attached to a round body with a thinner neck and a massive head. The creature had large, round, yellow eyes and a large, round white jaw that was the same color as it's under neck and belly. Its curved, jagged teeth overlapped its upper jaw, while the front of its beak-like snout overlapped the front of the lower jaw. At the top of its snout, were two almost raindrop shaped nostrils outlined in orange. Above the nostrils was a large, curved bone-yellow horn that pointed backwards towards a shield of straight horns that were the same color. This creature's head reminded Jack of a Triceratops.

Smaller spikes that were the same bone-yellow color ran down its neck, small back and extremely long, tapering tail. On its tail the spikes quadrupled and they pointed every other direction. Although everything made this creature appear to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops mix; it was the large, yellow, jagged-ended wings that gave Jack the name of the beast: A dragon.

"Ah, heck, no! You did not tell me there were dragons!" Jack panicked. He grabbed his staff and prepared to flee when a shot of ice escaped the wooden object and directly hit the dragon's tail. Jack froze as solid as ice and a horrible grimace crossed his face. The massive dragon turned around and glanced directly at Jack. Its large, yellow eyes registered every movement Jack made. It slowly walked forward and Jack stumbled backwards.

The dragon's massive jaws drew open, revealing a large pink tongue and a deep mouth. A green gas formed at the back of its mouth and Jack scrambled to his feet, barely missing the blast of fire that would have immediately killed him.

"Holy son of a Yeti! That was close!" Jack breathed. The dragon redirected the direction of its head and fired again. Jack dove out of the way, his staff freezing the grass beneath him. Confused, the beast ran after him and slid on the ice. Jack somersaulted out of the way before the dragon's body collapsed on top of him.

"These things don't give up!" Jack gasped, catching his breath. The dragon struggled to get to its feet, but only slid more on the ice.

It was then that Jack noticed a girl run up to the beast. She had thick, yellow-blonde hair that was pulled back into a massive braid that stopped half way down her back. A small piece of hair lay in front of each of her round ears and her wild bangs hung into her left eye. She wore a black headband. She had a round face, thin, pink lips, a round nose, thin eyebrows and narrow eyes. She had a thin, short neck, a short torso, flat chest, long, muscular arms, and thin legs. She wore a grey, mummy-wrapped shirt with no sleeves and silver, metal shoulder cuffs that attached to her shirt with metal skull clips. She also wore a red skirt that stopped above her knees, black, thin pants and brown fur-lined boots. He had a belt made from metal skulls and metal spikes stuck out of her red skirt. Both of her lower arms were wrapped mummy-style in tan fabric and her eyes were a bright blue.

"Stormfly, what's wrong girl?" Her alto voice called. She petted the dragon's head and the beast calmed down.

"What the-?" Jack's eyebrows rose in confusion. He grabbed his staff and shakily stood. The girl helped Stormfly to her feet.

"Is this…ice?" She bent down and tapped on the frozen grass, which cracked and defrosted beneath her thin fingers.

Jack leaned against his staff. "What else would it be, kid?"

The girl's head whipped and she stumbled to her feet, her back pressed against the dragon's leg. Her narrow eyes widened and she directly stared at Jack.

"Whoa, wait; you can see me?" Jack's eyes widened, too. She barely nodded. "Yes, it's true!" Jack grinned, referring to him originating from Viking culture, and drove his staff into the ground. A larger patch of grass became frozen beneath him.

"You're… You're Jack Frost!" She gasped as the ice crept around her and her dragon.

"Well, yeah, who else would I be?" Jack twirled a snowflake around his hand. "Who are you?" He asked, releasing it.

"I'm Astrid Hofferson." She introduced herself. "You've obviously met Stormfly, my Deadly Nadder." She glanced up at the dragon.

"You Deadly what?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"My Deadly Nadder. It's her dragon species." Astrid explained.

"Oh." Jack replied.

"May I ask, why you, of all beings, are here? In Berk?" Astrid asked, hopping across the ice to the rough grass. Stormfly bent down on her legs, lay down and wrapped her spikey tail around her body. She folded her wings and rested her head on the ice, making a sound that seemed like a sigh.

"Let's just say I'm looking for someone." Jack flew up into the air and perched lightly on the top of his staff.

"Well, who are you looking for? I might know them." Astrid sat down, fascinated by the Frost spirit's flying capabilities.

"Eh, that's kind of the problem. I was never told his name." Jack smirked.

"That eliminates half the population. Anything else you can tell me about him?"

"I was told he is followed around by a black creature, I now presume a dragon." Jack shrugged.

"A black dragon, huh? Well, there's only one of those on Berk, which means you're looking for Hiccup." Astrid sighed.

"What kind of name is Hiccup?" Jack asked.

"Do you question everything? It's kind of offensive." Astrid responded. Jack shrugged. "Well, don't do that when you're around Hiccup; he's been sensitive lately."

"How come?" He asked.

"That's too personal for me to tell someone who judges so easily." Astrid stood. She patted the dragon's nose and Stormfly uncurled. She hopped onto the massive dragon's back and glanced down at Jack, who now stood with his staff in his hand, mumbling. "Do you wanna ride a dragon or are you just going to fly?"

"What is the chance I will ever get another chance to ride a dragon? Count me in!" Jack grinned, launching himself into the air, and landing on Stormfly's back behind Astrid. She scowled. Astrid patted Stormfly's neck and the dragon unfolded her wings and took off into the sky.

"Yahoo!" Jack hooted as the dragon picked up speed and the wind blew back his white hair.

"Well, you're definitely not from around here." Astrid spoke over the wind. "Where are you from, then?" she asked.

Jack thought for a minute. "You wouldn't believe me." He finally spoke.

"I'm sitting on a dragon and talking to a boy that can fly and create ice and snow. Do you really wanna tell me that I wouldn't believe you?" Astrid replied, her blue eyes narrowed and she glanced back at him.

"I guess not. Let's just say I traveled back in time from a place called Burgess. It's a small town in the massive country of the United Stated. It's in the continent of North America, just west of here and across the ocean. However, it hasn't been discovered yet; at least it won't be for a couple hundred more years." Jack explained over the wind.

"Let me get this straight, you traveled back in time, just to meet Hiccup? Why?" Astrid asked as Stormfly flew into the cloud lining of the sky.

"It's really a long and complicated story.." Jack begun. "It'd be easier for me to just start from the beginning. In about 700 years from now, I was born as an ordinary child with brown hair and brown eyes. I couldn't make snow or even fly. But I did have a family. One day, I went ice skating on a lake near my home with my little sister, Emma. Out of the blue, the ice cracked beneath her and I quickly saved her, but fell in myself instead and drowned. It was then that the Man in the Moon gave me immortality. I became Jack Frost, a trouble maker with snow white hair, ice blue eyes and the ability to create snow and fly using the wind.

"But I didn't have my memories. I didn't know that I saved a sister I never knew I had from certain death. Instead, for 300 years I questioned who I was supposed to be, because I didn't know who I once was. Not a single person saw me and I lived a solitary life. I lived not knowing why I was stuck like this, for eternity. And then the Man in the Moon chose me to become a guardian, who would watch over and protect the children of the world. I received my memories back and I defeated an old foe of the guardians, who wanted what we had; he threatened us, and so he also threatened the children.

"As a guardian, I was sent on missions to watch over the children. And then yesterday, I was given a mission to find three teenagers from two different time periods: a lost girl with a dream, a runaway girl with a struggle and a sorrow-filled boy with a talent." Jack explained.

"A sorrow-filled boy with a talent, huh? Well, that's Hiccup for sure." Astrid gravely spoke, her alto voice sounding as if she had just been strangled. Jack decided not to question it.

Slowly, Astrid had Stormfly fly out of the clouds and closer towards the forest, which was now only a hundred feet below them.

"Do you see the cove down there?" Astrid called to Jack, who glanced down. Below them, in the middle of the forest was a space free of pine trees. Instead, there was a lake, grass, boulders and a couple of trees that weren't pine trees.

"Yeah." Jack responded.

"Good. That's the cove to the right of raven Point. If you ever need to find Hiccup, and he's not in town, he'll be here. He's there right now. See the black blob below? That's his dragon, Toothless the Night Fury. I highly suggest you don't go to the cove though, Hiccup hates being bothered." Astrid steered Stormfly around and they flew back to the village.

Upon landing, Astrid hopped off of Stormfly's back and signaled for Jack to follow her. "I'll show you where he spends his free time in town; there are really only like three places." She walked on foot to a building that was different from the others. It had wide windows and a gaping door. The building was slightly dilapidated, the rock from the walls crumbling down, the wood warped and the metal rusted from the harsh weather. Old, rusted weapons lay on the ground and placed on shelves; ranging from wooden and metal shields, swords, cannon balls and axes to hammers and knives. "This is Gobber's place. Before we were friends with dragons, we used to fight them to the death. But that's a long story Hiccup can tell you about later. Anyway, Gobber used to supply the weapons. Hiccup had worked for him." She walked through a large doorframe and led Jack to another, smaller room. She peeked in before entering. The small room was filled with a desk, some barrels, a chair, many drawings and inventions. "He used to spend all of his time here. Now, he comes here for only a few hours a day. I expect he will return here before going home, probably before nightfall."

Taking one last glance at the small room, the pair left. Astrid guided Jack through the village, climbing up the steep slope to one of the largest buildings in the entire village. "Hiccup lives here with his father." Astrid spoke.

"What is he, royalty?" Jack snickered.

"Something like that." Astrid rolled her eyes. She whistled loudly and Stormfly bounded up the hill and stopped before them.

Astrid hopped on. Jack flew up and landed roughly on Stormfly's back. Stormfly growled unhappily at Jack. Astrid just patted her neck and the dragon took off at a great speed.

"Yeeehaw!" Jack hollered once they were in the sky. Astrid rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath.

"This is the training arena." Astrid spoke a few minutes later. "Sometimes Hiccup spends his time here. Not to train, but to think. Our Viking training days are over. We used to use the arena to train young teenage Vikings how to fight and kill dragons." Astrid explained as Stormfly flew above a round, massive building, whose walls were made of metal and rock. There was no roof, just hexagonal patterns formed by steel chains.

"That's a training arena? It looks like a jail." Jack responded.

"What's a jail?" she asked.

"It's similar to a dungeon, except you're not tortured there; just left to rot for a certain amount of time." Jack replied. "Well, this place is kind of dumb." He added.

Astrid was taken aback. "The training arena was a dungeon, Jack. For dragons and humans alike! We both died in there, fought to the death, burned to death, bled to death, and trained together. Dragons were imprisoned there like your 'jails' and our dungeons. That's how I met Stormfly." Astrid snapped at his remark.

"Didn't mean to burst your bubble, sweetheart." Jack laughed.

Astrid twisted around to glare at Jack. Her eyes narrowed even more and her thin lips formed a ridged line. "Is this some kind of a joke to you? We were once at war and you're calling a sacred place, where we all fought, dumb?" She hissed. Jack just shrugged. Astrid turned around and the corners of her lips pulled up into a dark grin. She leaned forward and lightly whispered so only Stormfly could hear her. "Give it to him."

Stormfly snorted in response. She powerfully flapped her massive yellow wings and climbed higher in altitude. After thirty feet, she folded her wings and abruptly dove.

"Whaaaaaaaat the- !?" Jack cried out as the wind whipped at his pale face. Astrid chuckled and leaned against Stormfly's back, protecting herself from the harsh wind. The dragon continued to dive at a rate so fast that the gap between the trees and the clouds disappeared within seconds and Jack closed his eyes, thinking they would collide with a tree. However, at the last second, Stormfly unfolded her wings, caught the wind and rapidly flapped her massive wings. She flew back up into the sky and away from the forest and over the open ocean. As soon as Jack reopened his tightly shut eyes, Stormfly slightly folded her yellow wings and dove again, this time spinning in tight circles that made Jack both dizzy and nauseous.

As the sea drew closer, Astrid filled her lings with air and held her breath. Stormfly dove into the water, stayed submerged for a few seconds, resurfaced and flew several feet above the surface before diving back into the water; repeating the process several times.

Finally Stormfly resurfaced and flew up into the sky, preparing to dive once more. Once achieving enough altitude, she folded her wings again.

"Alright, I'm sorry!" Jack called, his eyes now closed tightly. Stormfly straightened her wings and flew lightly in the wind. Astrid patted Stormfly's neck and sat up.

Jack's head spun wildly and his temples pounded. His frozen heart raced in his chest and his white hair stood straight up. The water from the ocean froze to his cold skin and covered his fur clothes in ice. "Terrific." He lightly muttered.

Astrid turned around and glanced at Jack, chuckling. "You know, they say dragons are completely unpredictable."

"No kidding." Jack replied, shaking his head and loosening his grip around his staff.

Astrid shook her head and turned back around. She gave Stormfly's side a light squeeze with her left leg and the dragon steered to the left. Within minutes, the village came into sight and Jack felt a moment of brief relief.

Stormfly lightly landed on the ground and Jack scrambled off of her back. Still dizzy, he stumbled to the ground and forced himself up, using his staff for support.

"You alright, Frosty?" Astrid snickered lightly.

"Yeah." Jack shook his head and leaned against his staff. "Ugh." He groaned.

"Okay." She sighed. "Just to make sure you were listening, what point was the cove to the right of?" She leapt from Stormfly's back, walked in front of Jack and crossed her muscular arms.

"Raven." Jack answered, rolling his eyes.

"Where does Hiccup live?" She continued.

Jack groaned. "At the massive building on the top of the hill."

A smirk formed on Astrid's face. "What should you not do when you're around Hiccup?"

"Question everything." Jack sighed.

Astrid walked back to Stormfly and patted her leg. "What dragon does hiccup have?"

"A Night Fury." Jack breathed.

"What are you to never do in my presence?"

"Make fun of the training arena."

"Which is located where?" Astrid exasperated Jack.

"Just outside of the village on a cliff."

Astrid nodded in approval. "Where is Hiccup going before his house at nightfall?"

"Gobber's."

"Good, you've passed my exam." Astrid pulled herself back up onto Stormfly's back.

"Now, it's time for you to pass mine." Jack straightened up. Astrid rolled her eyes. "How old am I?" He asked.

"Assuming your permanently 18, based on your height and non-maturity; 318." She replied.

"Dang, you're good. How did I become a guardian?" He pressed.

"You drowned saving your sister, Emma, from certain death, died, suffered a solitary immortal life for 300 years, regained your memories and fought off an old foe who threatened the guardians and the children." Astrid responded.

"You just answered my next four questions!" Jack growled.

"Good, I have better things to do. So long, Jack Frost." She patted Stormfly's neck and the pair sped up into the sky and disappeared.

Jack chuckled lightly. He patted down part of his wind-blown hair and then tightened his grip around his wooden staff before walking off towards Gobber's dilapidated workshop. "I have to say Manny, I didn't expect Berk to be like this." Jack mumbled, walking leisurely.

_What did you expect, Jack?_ The Moon replied.

"I'm not really sure. Perhaps another place like Burgess, just, I don't know, more ancient." Jack shrugged.

_I think from now on you shouldn't expect as much. The many places you will travel to are more like Berk than they are Burgess. Not with dragons, of course, but they do have their magic and legends. I hope you will be more cautious about what you make fun of in the future; unlike the training arena today. They boy you are about to meet changed old Viking ways of hatred to more loving and accepting ways. _

"Alright." Jack nodded as twilight took over the sky. The sunlight began to recede from the village and darkness replaced it. Jack's pace sped up and finally reached Gobber's. A lantern was lit nearby and Jack noticed a piece of paper nailed to the door with a sharp spike that was bone-yellow in color. The note wasn't exactly in English, it was English written in Viking letters.

Jack was barely able acquainted with the ancient writing; he had used some of it in his past life. He quickly recognized his name, but couldn't figure out the rest. "What exactly does it say?"

_Hiccup, I hope you believe in Jack Frost. –A. _The Moon translated.

"Oh." Jack chuckled. " I presume A is Astrid, huh?"

_Indeed. _Was the last thing the Moon said. Nodding, Jack slipped in the workshop and into Hiccup's 'office'. Jack dug his staff into the hard ground and perched on the top, viewing the small room from different angles. The small room had a narrow, long, rectangular table covered in ragged pieces of paper with drawings on them. Around those were loosely binded books, metal parts, pots full of charcoal pencils and paint brushes.

Above the table hung drawings of inventions and to the right was a tall wax candle. Behind Jack was a massive wooden bookshelf that was as wide and tall as the room itself. It too was filled with loosely binded notebooks, clay pots, charcoal pencils, metal parts, wood and woven baskets, though the top couple of shelves were mostly empty.

The room was held up by large wooden beams and wooden barrels filled up the rest of the room. The chair that Jack had seen earlier was actually just a stool.

"Huh." Jack thought for a while. How was he going to explain all of this to the boy named Hiccup. "How exactly do the three teenagers help me find the missing princess of Corona?" Jack asked.

_This, too, is hard to explain. Especially since I cannot tell you most of it. The three teenagers are more there to help you on your journey. Just… be prepared for anything and everything._

Jack sighed. "Okay." Jack now sat in darkness, for the sun had set in the east. Thinking about the Moon's response, Jack thought hard about what he would say.

It wasn't too long after that, when Jack's thoughts were interrupted by a noise outside. Jack listened intently.

"Huh?" A voice spoke in the cold winter air. There was a moment of silence and then came the creak of a wooden door. Jack froze. "Oof, Toothless, what is it, bud?" There was a rattle in the other room that sounded like metal clattering together. Jack closed his eyes, relying on his hearing to tell where the boy was. The sound of metal continued to draw closer and finally Jack couldn't stand it anymore. He opened his eyes and leapt silently down from his perch.

"Toothless, what?" The noise stopped. "Fine, ignore me." There was a sigh and the metallic noise continued once more. Jack silently scuttled over to the corner of the room. "I don't know what's going on in Astrid's head, I swear she has gone crazy." The voice spoke, now in the same room as Jack. "I mean, really, what does Jack Frost have to do with anything?" There was a snort by the door. There was a light scratching sound and a spark of fire formed. Jack could barely make out the silhouette of a boy who was shorter than him. The boy lit the wax candle and blew out whatever he had used to light the fire. He placed the nail for the letter on the table and Jack realized that it was a spike from Stormfly's tail.

"How's it going, kid?" Jack spoke.

The boy nearly jumped out of his skin. "What the-!?" He whipped around and leaned against the wooden table, knocking over several notebooks and drawings.

"What's up, Hiccup?" Jack snickered.

"Ahhh, who are you? H-how do you know my n-name?" Hiccup's eyes widened.

Jack opened his mouth to speak but a large, black head stuck in through the door and opened its jaws, green gas forming in the back of its throat. Jack angled his staff in time as the dragon spit out a plasma blast at him. A shot of ice escaped the staff and froze the plasma fire, which crashed to the ground and shattered.

"To answer your question, I am Jack Frost. A pretty little blonde named Astrid told me your name. Now, can you tame your Night Fury!?"Jack spoke quickly, for the dragon reopened its jaws.

"Toothless, stop." Hiccup ordered. The dragon snorted and glanced at the boy.

"Thank you!" Jack breathed. "That's the sec – no, third time I've been attacked by a dragon today. " Jack propped his staff against the bookshelf.

"So... you're actually… real?" Hiccup asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Jack responded. Hiccup shrugged. "You believe in me, and yet you question if I real!?" Jack shook his head. "Are all the kids in Berk like this?"

"When you live in a place as cold and harsh as Berk, you'd be crazy not to believe in Jack Frost, the spirit of winter." Hiccup explained, sitting down on his wooden stool. "It's just hard to believe you're actually here."

Hiccup was a scrawny boy who was nearly a head shorter than Jack. He had a pointed chin, a round jaw and still very childish cheeks. He had a large round nose, a thin nose bridge, and thick brown eyebrows. His eyes were a bright green and his irises were wide. His auburn brown hair hung into his eyes and covered his large, round ears. A few pieces of hair were shorter at the top of his head and they stuck straight up. His lips were thin and there was a small centimeter long scar on the right side of his chin.

Hiccup had extremely thin arms and legs, a thin, short neck and small, rough hands. He wore a green shirt that hung down to his knees. At the end of his long sleeves, was thin brown fabric randomly placed as wrapping and a portion of the large V-neck shirt was sloppily sown. He also wore a brown fur vest that was the same length as his shirt and a thick, brown, leather belt. His short legs were covered by greenish-brown pants that had orange-ish stitches down the side.

It was then that Jack remembered what the moon had told him about Hiccup, when he saw the metal prosthetic foot on the boy's left leg. Half way down Hiccup's shin was a piece of wood where his pants ended and a piece of rope hugged the fabric to it. Attached to it was two metal pieces. The first piece was a loop that was nailed to the piece of wood and loosely attached to the other piece, which was shaped like a thick fishing hook. As Hiccup moved around, the second piece worked as a spring, working to accompany the weight that was shifted on it. His other foot was concealed by a brown boot with a black sole and was outlined in dark brown fur.

"Oh." Jack replied, sitting down on one of the barrels.

"Why exactly are you here?" Hiccup asked, suddenly remembering the notebooks and drawings on the ground. He stood up from his stool and got down on the ground to pick them up.

"I came here looking for you." Jack responded, crossing his legs, not realizing how strange his statement sounded.

"D'uhhh, why?" Hiccup dropped a notebook and looked up at Jack.

"I'm still not very sure myself. The Man in the Moon told me I had to find you." Jack shrugged.

Hiccup shook his head. "Well, that's not creepy at all." He stood up and placed the notebooks and drawings on the table.

"Hey, it wasn't my idea; I'd rather be in 2012 right now." Jack replied.

"What?" Hiccup looked at Jack.

"Oh, I had to travel back in time to come here." Jack grinned.

"Let me get this straight, you traveled back in time, 1012 years, just to meet me? Now that's crazy." Hiccup spoke.

Jack quirked an eyebrow. "Who's crazier, me or Astrid?" Hiccup froze. His thick eyebrows pulled together and his eyes lowered.

"Good question." Was all Hiccup said. He turned around as Toothless squeezed through the door and filled the room up.

Toothless was an enormous dragon that reminded Jack of a cat. He moved slowly and stealthily and his eyes caught every movement made in the room. He had a large head that would be hard for Jack to put his arms around. His lower jaw was completely flat and only about three inches tall. Toothless's softball sized eyes were entirely green and had a cat-like pupil that changed to a rounded square, but it depended on his mood. His eyes faced forward and his angled head resembled a half circle on the upper jaw and head. He had retractable, jagged, white teeth and spikes formed in a single line down his head just after his eyes.

At the top and side of his head were eight plates, four on each side of his head. Two small plates grew directly from the back of his head and sat back almost horizontally on his thin neck. The second set grew several inches away from the first set and were the largest of all eight. These two appeared to be ears. The other two sets were much smaller than the second, the last set being the smallest.

Toothless's thick neck was short and was attached to his curved body. Above his large shoulder blades grew massive bat-like wings that folded and hid his sleek body. His four legs were thin on the thighs but plumped up after the elbows and knees. His round feet ended in four long nails that didn't look much like claws. On his forelegs, three spikes grew from the back of his elbows. The same spikes that ran down the back of his head also ran down his back and long tail. Behind his massive wings were much smaller wings that worked more like sails. After the sails on each side, more spikes grew down his tapering tail, so that three rows of spikes were there. And finally, at the very end of his long tail was a set of tail fins that mimicked his bat-like wings. However, the left side of his tail was not covered in the jet black scaled that covered his body; instead the fin was made of metal rods and red fabric that formed the missing body part. The man made fin hooked to a long string which led to the tan leather saddle on Toothless's back. The saddle had stirrups and a handle.

"What happed to his tail?" Jack asked, changing the subject. Hiccup glanced at Jack, who was staring at Toothless.

"It's a long story." Hiccup responded.

Jack looked at him with an expression that stated 'continue'.

"Toothless and I lost our limbs within months of each other; though Toothless's tail was my fault. It was almost a year ago. It was a time when we still fought dragons. I was fifteen and I wanted to fit in. Then I was known as 'Hiccup the Useless' because I was the chief's screw up son-." Hiccup spoke.

"You're the chief's son?" Jack interrupted.

Hiccup grimaced. "Yeah. Worst fifteen years of my life. I was weak, I could barely lift a sword; I was pushed around and made fun of. My father didn't even care. Yet somehow I pushed through all the names and bruises and promised myself that they'd regret making fun of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

"It was then almost a year ago, I used an invention that I'd made and shot down Toothless in the sky one night during a dragon raid. Of course, no one believed me when I told them I had shot down a Night Fury. Hoping to prove them wrong, I set out the next morning and found Toothless by the cove near Raven Point. At first, I was going to kill him, cut out his heart and give it to my father. But when I saw how frightened he was, I realized he was just as frightened as I was. I cut him loose from the trap I had shot him down with. Over a period of several weeks I was placed in dragon training with other children my age; where we fought against captured dragons. I used techniques I learned on Toothless to save both the dragons and my pupils. For example: How dragons can't stand eels, or how a few blades of grass can bring a dragon down to its knees, or how," Hiccup walked over to Toothless and began scratching is neck. "Scratching underneath a dragon's jaw puts it to sleep for half an hour." Hiccup scratched Toothless's jaw and the dragon collapsed to the ground, now sleeping soundly. A look of happiness crossed Toothless's face and Jack and Hiccup laughed lightly.

"I quickly became popular among the village and that frustrated Astrid, because she had been at the top of the class. Not too long before that I had figured out why Toothless had never flown away and left the cove; I realized that he couldn't fly without his missing fin. I made him a replacement and tweaked it until it was close to what it is now. Not too long after that, my father returned from his trip to the Dragon Island, where the Nest, home of the dragons, was. Vikings had been searching for it for over seven generations and had no luck finding it. My father hadn't found it either.

"It was a day later and I was chosen by the elder to kill the dragon. Terrified, I planned to run away with Toothless, when Astrid found us in the cove and threatened to tell the village that I had befriended a Night Fury. Well, I did the only thing I could do; I took her for a ride." Hiccup laughed underneath his breath. "However, during the ride, we came upon the Nest and realized that the dragons only raided us for food because they had to, or they would be eaten by a massive dragon we call the Red Death. Barely escaping, I had my final exam the next day and tried to show the tribe that we didn't have to kill dragons, but it all went wrong when my dad interrupted the 'fight' and the dragon attacked me.

"Toothless came to my rescue, but exposed himself to the tribe and they captured him. When I tried to explain Toothless to my father, I accidently spoke of the Nest, saying that only a dragon could find it. My father then took Toothless and most of the tribe to the island where they were attacked by the Red Death. Astrid and I quickly gathered the other kids in our class and we rode the dragons from the training arena to the island. Together, Toothless and I killed the red death by lighting the inside of its mouth on fire. However, in the process, Toothless's tail caught on fire and we collided with the Red Death's tail as it crashed to the ground and caused an explosion. I was knocked unconscious and plummeted to an almost certain death; its tail had separated Toothless and I. But Toothless caught me, but not before my leg was severely burned.

"When I came to, weeks later, my leg had been replaced with this and Gobber, my dad's second-in-command and my old boss, used my drawings to replace Toothless's burned up tail, with the one he has now, though, it works for both of us." Hiccup gestured to his leg.

"Holy cow! All that happened in just a few months!? Dude, your story is so much better than mine!" Jack replied, shocked by Hiccup's awe inspiring story.

"Really?" Hiccup breathed.

"Totally!" Jack leapt down from the barrel he sat on.

"Huh." Hiccup smirked and walked back over to a sleeping Toothless. "Hey, bud, time to wake up." He patted the Night Fury's nose. Toothless's eyes cracked open and his pupils were rounded squares. He clumsily got to his feet and Hiccup stepped back. "Follow me!" He spoke to Jack and left the room.

Jack grabbed his staff and flew after the boy, followed by a very intrigued Toothless.

Hiccup turned around and gaped as Jack landed beside him. "How'd you do that?" He asked.

"Oh, come on, I'm Jack Frost, you really don't know?" Jack replied. Hiccup shook his head. "Okay, I guess it's time for my story!"

"Be my guest, I have to go home, but it's going to take a while to walk there." Hiccup responded. Jack grinned.

"Man, you're right about my story being better." Hiccup snickered. "At least you got your memories back."

Jack laughed. "Yeah." Jack had explained in more detail about joining the guardians and defeating Pitch Black, the Nightmare King.

"Hey, how exactly did Jamie bring back the Sandman?" Hiccup asked.

Jack's eyebrows pulled together. "I… don't know."

"Hmm." Hiccup thought.

"What do you guys do here anyway?" Jack changed the subject; not sure what to think of Hiccup's question.

"Heh, that's a hard one for even me to answer." Hiccup responded. "I don't know what the littlest kids do here; everything has changed since I was little. It's really hard to get a lot done here. You know, here, they say that we're twelve days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freeing to death." Jack snickered. "Anyways, it snows nine months of the year and hails the other three; so most of the time we spend inside. I can keep myself entertained, whether it's playing with Toothless or designing inventions for Viking needs." Hiccup shrugged.

"If you are so easily entertained," Jack spoke carefully. "Then why are you so sorrow-filled?" He lightly slung his staff over his right shoulder.

"What makes you think I'm sad?" Hiccup stopped walking, his low voice ringing in the cold air.

"The Moon told me." Jack stopped too, glancing at the moon.

"Yeah, well, what does the Moon know?" Hiccup muttered.

"Almost everything." Jack glanced at Hiccup's moonlit face. Realization struck Hiccup. "He knew that I would one day be the one to defeat Pitch Black, even before I died 300 years earlier. He's the one who sent me here. He's the one who knew I'd meet three teenagers, one being a sorrow-filled boy with a talent, who I now know is you."

Hiccup forced a sad laugh under his breath and smirked. "Yeah, that sounds like me." His green eyes lowered and he peered across the frozen blades of grass to the sea-green ocean.

"You don't have to tell me." Jack shrugged. "I'm told I'm nosey; I try not to be…" He smirked.

Hiccup looked back at Jack, taking in his light complexions and thinking. "Well, I guess I can believe that. After all our legends do say Jack Frost is a trouble maker." He grinned.

"You know kid, you're alright." Jack smiled.

"Say, do you still like causing trouble?" Hiccup asked.

"Do I? Are you kidding me?! Of course! Just because I'm a guardian doesn't mean I can't have a little fun!" A dark grin formed on Jack's face. "What do you have in mind?"

"We could pull a prank on Snotlout." Hiccup smiled.

"Who's Snotlout?" Jack asked.

"He's my cousin that-." Hiccup stopped.

"That what?" Jack quirked an eyebrow.

"He's my cousin that still picks on me." He finished.

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?! Let's pull a prank on him!" Jack flew up into the air in excitement.

"Alright, follow me!" Hiccup jumped onto Toothless's back, latched a couple things on and took off into the night sky with Jack beside him.


	4. Chapter 3: Corona

Chapter Three: Corona

Jack stepped back with a massive grin on his face. He drove his staff into the ground, causing ice to creep across the tough grass and freeze Jack's surroundings. "What do you think?" He asked, his voice quickly moving in the chilled morning breeze. Hiccup, who sat on the frozen ground beside Toothless, wearily glanced towards Jack before looking to left; fighting sleep. He nodded in approval. The bright sun rose into the sky off in the east and it turned the night sky a series of blues, oranges and pinks. The large sun's beams leaked through the thick storm clouds in the distance and revealed Hiccup and Jack's night's work.

In front of the pair, was one of the many boat-like Viking houses. However, unlike the others, this house was buried in several feet of snow. The snow piled around the single wooden door, preventing anyone or anything from getting in or out. As the sky became brighter, the freshly fallen snow began to gleam and glint in the sunlight, giving off the appearance of sparkling. More snow clung to the roof and the wooden dragon-like spikes on the house were barely seen. Lighter piles of snow surrounded the area, spotting the closest houses; as if a snowstorm had passed directly overhead.

The warmth from the rising sun arose a sleepy Hiccup and he lightly snickered. "I can't wait to see the tribes' faces!"

Jack turned around and grinned at him, his teeth glinting in the sunlight. "Yeah, me too; especially Snotlout's face." He snickered at the thought. Hiccup made a sound in the back of his throat.

"Ah, we should probably go, though. Most people aren't up 'till after dawn, I usually sleep in; but my dad rises when the sun does. It wouldn't look too good if he or anyone else found us, er, me outside of Snotlout's snow buried house…" Hiccup abruptly spoke and glanced around, suddenly apprehensive.

"Eh, we should go then." Jack replied, gripping his staff. Hiccup patted Toothless's nose and hopped on his back lightly.

"Come on, I'll show you the cove." Hiccup spoke.

"Okay." Jack grinned. Hiccup slid his legs into the stirrups, hooked himself to the saddle, and grabbed onto the handle.

"Alright, bud, let's go!" Hiccup ordered and toothless leapt into the air, flapped his bat-like wings and quickly climbed in altitude. Jack flew after them, catching up easily.

Once high enough in the sky, Toothless's wings leveled out and he soared in and out of the clouds. Hiccup breathed in deeply, the fresh dawn air filling his lungs. The cool breeze blew his messy, auburn brown hair out of his face and rolled off of Toothless's wings. Jack flew steadily beside them, the wind blowing back his brown cape and snow white hair.

Within minutes, Toothless dove out of the clouds and glided down through the sky to the forest below; Jack followed behind them. The cove came into view and Toothless dove straight in, lightly landing on his feet. Hiccup unhooked himself from the saddle and leapt off of Toothless's back as Jack landed beside them. Jack took in the beauty of the cove. It's tall walls formed a bowl around them, built entirely of grey rock and ferns. The sea-green large lake sat in the middle of the cove and consumed the majority of its space. Similar to the forest that surrounded it, the cove's ground was formed of wet brown mud. Ferns didn't grow as much as it did in the forest, but they did spot lightly across the cove. The trees that grew from the mud were similar to pine trees but they were much shorter and in fewer numbers and their branches were long and droopy; many of them supporting small birds' nests.

"So, this is the cove, huh?" Jack spoke, filled with awe once again.

"Yeah." Hiccup grinned and patted Toothless's nose one last time. Then the large creature lumbered off towards a tree, plasma blasted the ground and laid on top of the flames. Watching the dragon, a question formed in Jack's head.

"Say, how big was the Red Death?" He asked after a minute.

Hiccup glanced wearily at Jack, then made a thoughtful face as he tried to recall the memory. "I'd say his head was about the size of this cove. He had six small eyes, massive overlapping teeth, a short horn on the front of his snout and a large shield on the back of his head. His body was about four times the size of his head and his long tail ended with a massive club. Also he had large bat-like wings." Hiccup described the beast. Jack's blue eyes widened.

"Holy cow! Dude, I'm surprised you're still alive!" Jack leapt up onto a boulder.

"Yeah, me too." Hiccup snickered at Jack's reaction. "Though, I almost didn't." He added. "Hey, you said yesterday that you were attacked three times by dragons; who else attacked you, other than Toothless?"

"Uh, Stormfly did. When I first got here, I panicked because I didn't know that there were dragons here and I accidently froze Stormfly's tail. Let's just say that was an extremely close encounter. The second time, I managed to piss off Astrid and she had Stormfly do all of these 'tricks' mid-flight. I learned my lesson." Jack responded, wincing at the terror that had flooded him during that flight.

"Wait, Astrid was actually stupid enough to let you ride Stormfly?" He laughed. "As for the mid-air tricks, she learned that from Toothless the day we took her for a ride before my exam." He added. Jack snickered.

_Jack._ A voice called. Jack's smile fell and he glanced up at the sky, peering at the moon.

Jack's eyes squinted. "Is everything alright?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah; the Moon's talking to me." Jack responded.

"Oh."

_Jack, it's time to go. _The moon spoke.

"Already?" Jack quirked an eyebrow.

_Yes; don't worry, you'll see the boy soon enough. But now it's time to start searching for the others. _He replied.

Jack nodded silently and turned to face Hiccup, who stared at him expectantly.

"What's going on?" He asked, shifting his weight onto his good leg.

"It looks like I have to go." Jack responded lightly.

"Go? Already? But you haven't even seen Snotlout's reaction yet!" Hiccup replied unhappily.

Jack smirked sadly and his ice blue eyes became soft. "It's alright, you can tell me _all_ about it later. I'll most likely return in a week or two." He replied.

"Alright." Hiccup sighed, reassured. "I guess you know where to find me, then." He grinned.

Jack lightly slung his left arm over the boy's shoulders and shook him in a friendly way before releasing him. "I'll see you around, Haddock." He laughed.

"'See you around, Frost." Hiccup mumbled loudly.

With that, the guardian grasped his staff tightly in his hand and took off into the early morning sky. Hiccup watched the winter spirit go with a sense of curiosity until he could see the boy no longer. Suddenly feeling alone once more, Hiccup sadly turned and quickly walked over to a resting Toothless.

"Hey, bud, are you ready to go back to town?" He carefully analyzed the sun's position in the blue sky and realized that everyone in town would be up by now. Toothless snorted in response and leisurely climbed to his feet, digging his nails into the soggy earth. Once Toothless was on all four of his feet, he unfolded his wings and Hiccup scrambled onto his back, hooked himself up to the saddle and the pair took off into the sky. After a minute of climbing in altitude, Toothless's wings straightened and he soared above the pointed tree tops. The sun's bright rays shone down on the pair and warmed Hiccup's freckled face. The light breeze blew back his hair and tossed around his fur vest.

Eventually, Toothless landed beside Hiccup's home at the top of the hill. Peering across the village, Hiccup smiled as he glanced down the village hillside and saw the majority of the tribe surrounding Snotlout's snow buried house. With a deep feeling of pride, he put on a concerned expression and had Toothless fly down behind the people; where he dismounted the black dragon and approached the back of the crowd.

"What happened?" He innocently asked a woman near the back.

The woman was much taller than Hiccup and she could see more than he could. She turned to face him, her thick blonde braids flying over her shoulders. "The Elder's say a small snow storm must have struck Snotlout's house overnight while we were all sleeping. There's no way out, the entrance was completely snowed in." She replied.

"Oh." Hiccup raised his eyebrows as if he were surprised. She turned back towards the crowd and Hiccup walked back to Toothless, now having a better view of the movement below. Hiccup inwardly smiled at the sight before him. Three large tribesmen were shoveling the snow that encased Snotlout's door to the side, struggling to remove the ice the compacted it. Their breath fogged in the chilly morning air and the crowd waited behind them, nervously fidgeting; hoping that Snotlout was alright.

Eventually, the tired men had shoveled away all the snow and ice and forced the heavily frozen door open. Snotlout happily stood before them and let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank gods!" He scrambled out, feeling numb from the cold that had leaked into his house. Hiccup quietly snickered and a smug look formed on his face. He lightly leaned against Toothless's side and crossed his arms. However, Hiccup watched a blonde-haired girl run up to Snotlout and he instantly knew it was Astrid. The smugness fell from his face, but he held his comfortable position against Toothless, who stared blankly down at the scene below. Sorrow suddenly filled his eyes as Astrid hugged Snotlout tightly; glad that he was alright. The crowd quickly departed, in a rush to catch up with their daily jobs. As the crowd dissipated, Astrid caught sight of Hiccup leisurely leaning against Toothless's side at the top of the hill ahead of her.

She put two and two together and she realized that Snotlout's imprisonment had been caused by Jack and Hiccup and her blue eyes narrowed in anger. Hiccup stiffened and stood before returning her glare, his jaw set. In this, she could she hatred and pain. He pulled himself onto Toothless's saddled and they took off into the sky.

Jack steadily flew into the forest and landed lightly on the soggy earth. In some ways, he would miss Berk. It, in deed, was a strange land with even stranger people, but he would return; in time. Jack breathed in the cold air one last time, feeling the breeze on his skin. Slowly, he unhooked one of the snow globes from his belt and shook it in his hand until snowflakes began to fall inside of it. "Corona; 1782." He spoke. A castle formed on the inside of the small object and he tossed it to the ground; where it bounced off of a thick, brown log and formed a golden, spiraling vortex that was as tall as Jack was. Jack silently stepped into the swirling vortex, his staff in his hand.

Roughly, Jack was forced out of the vortex and tumbled to the ground once more. "Ugh. Again?!" Muttering, he forced himself to his feet and found himself in another forest. Unlike Berk, Corona's forest was more inviting. The grass that covered nearly every square inch was soft, long and beautifully green; in fact, the grass was so soft, it tickled Jack's bare feet. Every few feet of grass was a small flower with rounded petals, each different pastel colors. The large trees that grew from the ground were smooth barked willow trees. Their bark was a nice tan-grey color and their long branches drooped towards the ground. Jack breathed in slowly and the smell of spring filled his frozen lungs.

Glancing down, Jack noticed that his clothes had changed again. The fur had vanished from his cape and vest. Other than that, his clothes were practically the same. Though Jack noted that they were made out of finer material than his colonial clothes had been originally made of. Jack still wore his ice belt with the frozen snow globes on it, and of course, his feet were bare. Jack's staff was very much the same; however, the wood felt fresher. Ice instantly encrusted the new clothing, making the collar of his shirt wrinkle around his neck and shoulders.

Gripping his staff, Jack glanced up through the trees' leaves and looked for the moon. "Uh, Manny, which way do I go?" He asked, not sure which way Corona was.

_Turn around and keep going straight. _Manny replied.

"Ok; Thanks." Jack turned around; picked the snow globe on the ground up, hooked it to his belt and began walking; listening to the birds chirping in the Willow trees. Within minutes, Jack reached the end of the forest and gasped. Corona was indeed a large kingdom. The bright sun shown above in the periwinkle blue sky and made Jack wish his clothes were made of a lighter fabric. The kingdom was made of beautiful brownish colored bricks and an assortment of flags were strung from every building; most of the them mainly purple in color with a yellow sun or flower like the shadow the moon had shown Jack.

"Whoa." Jack's eyes widened as he took in the magnificent kingdom of Corona. He slowly walked along the brick bridge that led to the kingdom gates, easily walking across the even pathway. He walked through the massive gates and slowly squeezed his way through a large crowd that filled a supermarket. Food stands lined up against the brick walls and people off all ages danced to music that was being played in a large courtyard several yards away.

"This place isn't that bad." He grinned at the fun people were having. At a large fountain in a corner opposite of Jack, he saw four little girls braiding each other's hair. However, it wasn't the girls that caught his attention; it was a large wall mural that was to the right of them. Jack's eyebrows rose and he squeezed through the crowd, his arms constantly disappearing through people, but Jack didn't notice. Jack finally reached the mural and stared up at it with curiosity.

However, there was a tug on Jack's shirt and he looked down to find one of the girls from the fountain. She was barely as tall as his knee and struggled to reach Jack's shirt. Her childish face was filled with wonder and her beautiful brown eyes glanced up at him. Her pretty red hair was pulled back into wild braids and her nose was small and round. She wore a yellow shirt that was tucked underneath a tan-pink skirt and a black belt. She also wore long white socks and brown shoes.

"Excuse me," She spoke in an adorable child-like voice. "are you Jack Frost?" She asked shyly.

"Yes, I am." Jack grinned, surprised that anyone here believed in him. He bent down in front of her, holding his staff in his left hand. A look of awe crossed her small face.

"I knew it!" She giggled. "Guys, its Jack Frost!" She turned and called to her friends. The girls at the fountain looked up and searched the crowd for their friends, shock crossing their faces as they took in the sight of the white haired boy beside her.

"He's here, he's here! His actually here!" The girls leapt from the fountain and ran over to the pair. Jack's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"A-all of you can see me?" He asked. The group of red haired girls nodded wildly, their braids bouncing all over.

"Almost every child in Corona believes in you!" The first girl beamed.

"Even a few adults too!" A taller girl giggled.

"Wow." Jack was speechless. His ice blue eyes wondered among the crowd.

"Is it true that your skin is as cold as snow?!" A third girl spoke, peeking around the side of the girl in front of her.

Jack laughed. "Yes." He held out his hand. The little girl reached out and touched it. Shivering, she pulled back and grinned. "I have a question for you guys. Do you like Snow Days?"

"Yes!" The girls jumped up and down, their braids whipping about.

"Though we haven't had one in a long time, they stopped coming several years ago." A girl the same age as Jamie spoke, smirking; she appeared to be the oldest of the fountain girls.

Jack's eyebrows pulled together. "Really?" He asked, his winter white hair falling into his face. Most of the girls nodded, one of them smirked. "We'll just have to fix that." Jack grinned as clouds began to form in the sky above. The staff in his hand froze a little more and the ice turned blue. Soon enough, the air became cold and small snowflakes twirled down from the sky.

"Look, it's snowing!" The first little girl pointed out.

"Jack Frost, at your service." He beamed, delighted by the looks of joy and cheer that lit up the children's' faces.

"You actually made it snow!" The oldest laughed. The town's people began to fill the courtyard as the tiny snowflakes piled up in the cobblestone bricks and every other uncovered spot. Children poured into the street, diving into the snow with their hands bare. Men danced around and women laughed, joining their children in the snow.

"Thank you Jack!" The little girl wrapped her arms around his cold neck.

"You're welcome; I'll make sure you get your Snow Days from now on." He hugged her back, sending a shiver down her small spine.

"Thanks! Oh and by the way, my name's Jenny." She pulled away, a snowflake falling on her nose. Jenny giggled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Jenny." Jack replied. "Now, why don't you go play in the snow I made for you." He nodded towards the piling snow on their left.

"Will you still be here?" She asked, her large doe eyes looking at him.

"Of course; trust me, I'm going to be here a while." Jack assured her.

"Okay!" She grinned before running off into the snow.

Jack laughed and stood up to face the mural that had caught his attention before.

The wall mural was made of opaque gems. The colorful gems formed three human beings; a man, a woman and an infant girl. Both the man and the woman had brown hair and their eyes were green. The woman hair stopped half way down her back and a golden crown sat upon her head. She wore pearl earrings and a pearl necklace with three diamond pendants, the middle being the largest. Her dress was purple with white shoulder cuffs, long purple sleeves and a thin lace outline around the opening of her dress. Golden flower like objects decorated the front side of the dress. Her face was similar to oval and her ears there small. Her eyes were large, her nose was thin and her lips were narrow. The man also wore a crown. He had short greying brown hair, thick eyebrows, a thin beard and a thick mustache. His nose was wide and his eyes were small. His outfit was more of a blue than purple. His long shirt was buttoned up with golden buttons and his collar was white. Over his shirt, he wore a long white and brown vest, which was entailed in the same golden designs as his wife. He also wore what appeared to be some kind of gold medal of honor, with a golden flower like the one Jack saw everywhere. His pants were the same colored blue and his boots were brown.

In the woman's arms was the infant girl, whose hair, unlike her parents, was a beautiful golden blonde and surprisingly, to her waist. She had large green eyes, a round nose and wide lips, which lightly smiled. She wore a dress the same color as her mothers and a beautifully jeweled crown. "Is this the girl I am looking for?" Jack asked, his eyebrows raising.

_Yes. _The moon replied. He nodded to himself.

"Why is her hair so… long and different?" He asked, touching the gem infant.

_That is for you to find out. _

"Terrific." Jack responded.

"Is everything alright, Jack?" Jenny tugged on his pant leg.

"Yeah. Just, who are these people?" He asked, looking at her.

Jenny glanced at the mural before speaking. "That's the King and Queen of Corona… and the lost princess."

"Lost princess? What happened to her?" Jack bent down beside her.

"I am not completely sure, she was lost long before I was born." Jenny replied, smirking. "Oh! Hey Lainey, can you tell Jack what happened to the princess?" She called.

The Eight year old girl turned around and walked over to them. "Sure." She sat down beside Jack. "You might want to sit down, it's a long story." She spoke. Jenny and Jack sat down beside her and prepared to listen.

"The lost princess's story actually begins before she was even born." She began. "When the Queen was with child, she became severely ill and nearly died. In a hurry, the kingdom searched for medicine to heal her, but nothing worked. Finally, the kingdom searched for their last option to save the queen, a magic golden flower that could heal her. Legends state that hundreds of years ago, a single drop of sun landed on the earth and formed a flower that was sought out by all and found by few. Once the flower was found, it was taken to the palace where the Queen was healed and she had a healthy, and surprisingly blonde baby girl.

"However, days after her birth, the King and Queen awoke one night to the sounds of the child crying and they watched in horror as a hooded figure disappeared with their child, leaving behind only a lock of brown hair. For years, the kingdom searched for the unnamed princess, but never found her. No one knows why the person took off with her. Sometimes, when I was younger I heard several adults talk about the golden flower, stating that the princess's kidnapper had probably found the flower and hid it until it was taken from them and they sought revenge on the kingdom. Even to this day, the King and Queen release floating lanterns into the night sky every year on her birthday; hoping that one day, their daughter would return home." Lainey finished.

"Wow." Jack responded.

"I can only imagine what it would be like to have a daughter missing for eighteen years." She added.

"Isn't that soon? Her birthday, I mean." Jenny asked, sitting up.

"Uh, yeah, it is. Come to think of it, I think it's in a week." She replied.

Jack thought to himself. "Huh."

"Is there something wrong, Jack?" Lainey asked, tilting her head at him.

"No." He shook his head lightly.

"Okay…" She smirked. "Hey Jenny, do you wanna build a snowman?"

"Sure! I'll be there in a minute." Jenny replied.

"Don't take too long!" Lainey took off.

"Okay." Jenny turned toward Jack. "Do you wanna help?"

"Sorry, I can't. I have to go." Jack responded.

"Do you have to?" She asked.

"Yeah." He replied, bending down in front of her. " I have a mission to fulfill; but I'll be back." He grinned.

"Okay." Jenny hugged him. Jack hugged her back, causing her to shiver. "See you later Jack!" She let go of him and ran after Lainey.

Jack turned around and glanced at the mural once more. "I'll find you princess." He spoke quietly.

"So, let me get this straight; you sent me on a mission to find a princess who's been missing for eighteen years and you didn't mention she had no name, weird blonde hair and that this is all about a flower?!" Jack spoke to the moon as he walked on the even cobblestones of the massive bridge.

_That was for me to know and you to find out. _The moon replied, peeking around the snow clouds that filled the sky.

"Agh." Jack stamped his foot, halting where he was. "That's all you ever say." He grumbled.

_Sorry Jack. _The moon snickered.

"I can't take this much longer, Manny." Jack continued walking among the snow, grumbling to himself.

_You still will find her, Jack. I know that. _

"Yeah, yeah, yeah; you know everything." Jack rolled his eyes and ran his hand lightly across his spikey white hair, ridding it of any snowflakes.

_No, I don't. if I did, I would know what Pitch was up to._

Jack froze and looked up at the mostly covered moon. "You don't know what Pitch is up to?!"

_I don't know everything, Jack. _ Manny replied.

"Well, that helps." He grumbled sarcastically as he stepped off of the bridge.

The moon remained silent as Jack slowly walked into the snow covered forest outside of the kingdom. The spring-like trees were covered in snow and their branches hung heavily due to the new weight. The trunks were frozen with ice and the once green grass was buried in a foot of snow.

_I'll let you know if I hear anything about Pitch. _Manny finally spoke. And then Jack was left in the forest, as his snow clouds covered the moon's face. Jack nodded to himself and continued to walk through the snow.

Slowly, he walked through the forest, dragging his staff through the deepening snow. The snowflakes continued to fall in little flurries and they began to soak his clothes. Bored, he whipped away the snowflakes and froze a few trees.

"Manny, what am I supposed to do?" He sighed, searching the trees for the missing princess, even though he knew she wouldn't be out here. "I don't know her name, so I can't call for her. And I don't know what she looks like because she not an infant; people change in eighteen years. It's not like I am going to just walk right into her." He spoke. The moon didn't answer.

As he walked farther into the forest, Jack formed a snowball in his hands and tossed it up and down several times before sending it flying through the trees towards a wall of snow and rock. However, as the snowball crashed into the wall, the snow that covered it came crashing down, revealing a curtain of vines.

"Huh. That's weird." Jack spoke, running up to it. He pushed a lock of the vines to the side with his staff and gasped. Before him was a beautiful place, hidden within large walls that would have made it impossible to find such a place. The walls were made of brownish rock and a single, thin waterfall poured down to the ground on the right side. Massive willow trees grew in the large area, but what caught Jack's attention was the tall tower in the center. The tower was taller than most of the trees around it, and its thin walls were made of pale grey bricks. Climbing ferns grew up the side of the tower that faced Jack and the top of the building had one small window. The roof was blue and ended in a sharp point similar to the buildings in Corona. Intrigued, Jack pushed through the fern curtain and flew up to the tower's window and peered in. Inside was a round room with a small bed, several wooden trunks, and a wardrobe. On the wooden walls were several paintings, each in bright colors ranging from yellow to pink.

"Whoa." Jack was impressed with the paintings. However, what confused him was the fact that he didn't see anyone inside. Was there another room somewhere in this tiny tower? Was anyone even in here? Quietly Jack slid through the window and glanced around the room. "Hello?" He called, unsure. There was a creak and Jack froze. He glanced at something in the corner of the room and squinted at it, pretty sure it had moved. But all was still in the room, until a metal clang echoed off the walls and Jack dropped to the ground, unconscious.


	5. Chapter 4: The dreamer

Chapter Four: The Dreamer

Jack drowsily awoke to a playful beam of morning light dancing among his eyelids; his heavily closed eyes cracking open. At first, his eyesight was unfocused and a bright stream of light blurred his vision. The entire back of his head painfully and uncomfortably ached and his legs and arms felt numb and prickly. Jack's arched eyebrows pulled together and his heavy eyelids blinked back the light. The world around him spun violently and he began to feel sick. "Ugh." He groaned and shifted his weight. Bit by bit, his vision slowly cleared and his last couple of memories flooded into his train of thought. Using his unclear memory, Jack realized that he was still in the same room that he had lost consciousness in. Ringing filled his ears as he remembered the clang of metal; and then he remembered nothing. What had happened? He lightly shifted again and froze; something binded him to a hard object. He glanced down wearily and, through his fuzzy vision, noticed that he had been placed in a wooden chair, his limbs tied tightly to its arms and legs. However, as his vision slowly focused, he realized that it wasn't rope that binded him to the chair, rather, it was extremely long, blonde hair.

"What the-?" Jack lightly struggled against the taught blonde hair, but gave up easily. Suddenly, there was a creak in a corner of the room and Jack started. "W-who's there?" He asked, still unable to see clearly. His vision began to focus more as time passed. The hair around his arms tightened and a small figure slowly moved out of the shadows. Jack's eyes squinted as he tried to get a better look at the figure and a minute later a short girl stood before him.

She was fairly short, perhaps four inches taller than five feet. Her skin was fair, as if she had barely ever been in the sun. Her face was almost heart-shaped and her eyes were large and round. Although it was clear that she was in her late teens, she had round, childish cheeks, a pointed chin and thin eyebrows that arched over the outer sides of her large green eyes. Her irises were thin and beautifully green. Her nose was rather small and her nose bridge was thin and short. She had a vast amount of eyelashes and her lips were full and gorgeously pink. She wore a light purple dress that hung down to her ankles. The top half of her dress was fairly bare, showing off her neck, collarbone, upper chest and most of her shoulders. It had small purple arm cuffs and long pink sleeves that stopped at her wrists. A thin layer of lace framed the square of fabric that showed her bare skin. Her arm cuffs were striped with the same light purple, perhaps lavender, as the rest of the dress and thin strips of pink. The fabric of her dress tightly hugged her body, revealing her mostly flat chest, thin hour-glass curves and narrow hips. The top of her dress reminded Jack of a corset. The skirt of her dress; however, was loose and the lavender fabric flowed effortlessly with every movement she made. Underneath her lavender skirt was a thin layer of loose white fabric. Her feet, too, were bare, and her thin arms and legs were short. In her long boney hands was an old, rusty frying pan.

However, perhaps the most surprising feature about the girl that shocked Jack was her extremely long, blonde hair. The right side of her hair was tucked behind her small ear, while the left side overlapped part of her face. A large piece of hair on the left seemed to defy gravity at the roots and fell into her beautiful face. The long, blonde hair flowed down the length of her entire body, looped several times on the floor, and tied Jack to the chair he sat in. Her hair must have been at least seventy feet long.

"Whoa." Jack's ice blue eyes widened, entirely focusing on the girl. Her boney fingers wrapped tightly around the frying pan's handle; which she held up to her heart-shaped face and a little back, as if it were a club or bat. Her round jaw became set and her beautifully arched eyebrows slightly pulled together.

"Who are you, and how did you find me?" She spoke, her alto voice ranging in the silence; her large green eyes heavily analyzing him. Confusion crossed Jack's pained face.

Clearly she saw him, so how did she not know his name, and yet believe in him? "H-how do you not know who I am?" He asked. This time, confusion crossed her face and she slowly lowered the frying pan.

She quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Jack sadly smirked before heavily sighing. "You don't know who I am? As if the white hair and staff weren't eno- Whoa, hold on!" Jack's voice suddenly rose. "Where is my staff?!" He wildly looked around the large room for the long wooden object.

"I've hidden it; somewhere you'll never find it." She replied happily, proudly crossing her arms and frying pan over her small chest.

Jack scowled at the girl unhappily and lightly tilted his head to the right, raising his left eyebrow, unconvinced. "Uh-huh." He spoke. He wearily glanced around the room, analyzing places a five-foot tall staff could be hidden. Eventually, Jack came across a large wooden closet. "It's in that closet, isn't it?" He looked pointedly at her. The girl abruptly rose her frying pan, as if she were about to knock him out cold again. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait!" Jack leaned as far back as he could in the wooden chair, trying to put as much distance as possible between his head and the frying pan. "Just give me my staff and I'll tell you everything you want to know!" Jack heavily flinched as she lowered the frying pan to his head. She quickly stopped and lowered the metal object to her side, which became tangled in her long, blonde hair.

She narrowed her large green eyes and studied him, debating if she could trust him. Was this stranger telling the truth? "Everything?" She finally spoke, quirking an eyebrow.

"Everything." Jack looked up at her sincerely, he even would have crossed his heart with his hand; however, he couldn't, his hands were tied to the chair with her hair.

She lightly smirked. "Okay…" She cautiously walked away from Jack, along the cold tiles on the floor, to the large wooden closet off to the right of the room. She quietly opened the wide closet doors and roughly pried the wooden staff from the closet's deep chest.

"Please be careful with that." Jack winced unconsciously at her roughness. Sudden discomfort seemed to form a pit in Jack's stomach and he swallowed thickly.

"What is so important about it? It's just a piece of wood." She responded, not moving from the closet's side. She suddenly became intrigued with the object. "You appear too young to need a cane or a walking stick." She added, lightly twirling the wooden staff in her boney fingers.

"Excuse me?!" Jack quirked an eyebrow, bewildered. "I'm actually much older than I look." He replied pointedly.

"Is that why your hair is so white?" She abruptly looked up from the staff.

Jack's mouth popped open audibly as if he were going to speak, but stopped after her stinging words sunk in. His mouth clamped shut and his angled black eyebrows furrowed together. "White-ish-grey, and no." He responded through clenched teeth. The girl looked back down at the staff, twirling it once more; regret filling her face.

With anger boiling in his frozen veins, it took everything to keep from yelling. "Can I please have that back?! I have a lot of memories with that and I would hate for something to happen to it!" Jack almost begged, his voice strained.

The regret fleeing her face, the girl became suddenly nervous and shifted her weight. Would he try to hurt her with it? "If it's not a walking stick, what do you use it for?" She stalled.

Jack's pleading expression dropped. "If you give it to me, I'll show you."

The girl bit her lip. Jack sensed her uneasiness and his face softened. After a minute of deliberating, she finally spoke. "Fine…" Jack's loose right hand reached out as far as it could go before her hair stopped it. She gently placed the staff in his hand, but flinched at the coolness of it. Jack heavily sighed with relief.

The girl wasn't so relieved. Worry crossed her face and she shyly took a step back. Jack's face remained soft as he quietly spoke. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. Just watch." His eyebrows pulled up.

Jack's hand tightly gripped around the staff and the object began to turn blue. The sound of cracking caught the girl's attention and she glanced down at the pale hand that molded around the staff. The staff grew bluer as thin sheets of ice formed underneath Jack's hand. Ice abruptly raced up the length of the wooden object, around its curve and to the end. There, the ice quickly built up before shooting up into the air and colliding with the ceiling. Startled, the girl stumbled backwards, fear crossing her face. Jack loosened his grip around the staff and the blue ice receded. The air borne ice lightly burst, turning into a myriad of snowflakes that spiraled around the large room. Fear changed to wander and the frying pan tangled in the girl's hair clattered to the tile floor. Joy filled her and she reached up with her boney hands to catch the falling snowflakes.

"H-how did you do that?!" She asked, curiosity burning in her beautiful green eyes. Falling snowflakes lightly piled up in her gorgeous blonde hair. Her sudden joy caused Jack's lips to pull up in a heart-stopping smile.

His ice blue eyes glinted with mystery. "I'm Jack Frost." He replied.

Shock crossed her heart-shaped face. "Wh- really?" Her eyes widened. Jack lightly nodded as the snowflakes stopped falling.

After a few seconds, Jack lightly smirked and spoke. "Is there a way you can get me out of this chair? I can't feel my legs." Numbness had taken over and his limbs had become prickly.

"Huh? Oh, yeah; let me get you out of that." She lightly ran over to Jack and began tugging on the hair that binded his arms to the chair's arm rests. Once the taught hair had been removed from Jack's arms and chest, the girl quickly worked on the hair that pinned down his legs. Meanwhile, Jack shook his arms, trying to get the blood flowing in his arms again.

"Thanks." Jack grunted as she pulled away the rest of the hair, which plopped to the floor.

"Welcome." She helped him up from the chair. Once standing, Jack leaned against his staff for support. After a few seconds, he turned to face the girl.

"I think we got off on the wrong start; I'm Jack Frost, you are?" He spoke.

"Oh, I'm Rapunzel." She introduced herself.

"Rapunzel." He considered, finally knowing her name. "That's a mouthful. Say, could I call you Punzie?" Jack tilted his head at her.

"Sure!" She giggled lightly, liking her new nickname. Jack beamed with satisfaction.

After a minute, Jack glanced around the room until he could stand straight. As his blue eyes wondered along the walls, beautiful paintings caught his attention. Every square inch of wall space had been covered with paint. The paintings ranged from vibrantly colored flowers and girls with long hair, to medium shaded vines to dark charted constellations. "Did you paint those?" He asked.

Rapunzel looked up to see what he was talking about. "Yes." She shyly spoke.

"Wow, those are amazing! How long have you been painting?!" Jack stiffly walked over to one of the paintings. It was a golden flower, painted in so many vibrant colors that it almost seemed to glow off of the wall. In some way, Jack felt like he had seen something like it before. The way the many petals seemed to curl in on themselves reminded him of the rays of the sun from the symbols in Corona; but, perhaps it was just his imagination.

Rapunzel thought for a moment. "For as long as I could sit up." She replied quietly.

Jack was about to speak when a voice interrupted him. "Rapunzel let down your hair!" A woman's tenor voice sang from outside on the ground, seventy feet below.

Rapunzel gasped, startled. "Hide! She can't know you're here!" She quickly pushed the wooden chair into a wall and began yanking all seventy feet of her hair towards the window.

"Who can't know I'm here?" Jack asked, confused.

"My mother!" She responded, a light hiss in her tone.

"Rapunzel?!" The woman's enchanting voice called again.

"Coming mother!" Rapunzel opened the window doors, blinking back the vague light that shown down on her. She began to throw her long blonde hair over the wooden windowsill. She quickly glanced back at the room. "Hurry, hide! If she sees you, she'll freak. Hide in my closet!" She ordered, nodding to the wooden wardrobe.

Jack heavily sighed, but nodded his head in agreement. He quickly jogged over to the large closet and placed his staff in first; then leapt in, closing the double doors closing behind him. He made sure there was a small crack so he could breathe and see out. He made himself comfortable, resting his back against the side of the closet. From the crack in between the closet doors, Jack watched as Rapunzel hung her hair on a hook. Her hair became taught and she began pulling on her hair, bringing up a few feet of hair up at a time.

After a minute, a woman appeared in the wooden windowsill. From what Jack could see out of the crack, she was nearly a head taller that Rapunzel - who was as tall as Jack-. She had a poufy mass of neat, black curls that were pushed away from her head. Her hair heavily hung past her shoulders, stopping midway down her back. She had a square, pointed jaw; high, prominent cheekbones; extremely large, green eyes; heavy eyelids and a short forehead. She also had narrow eyebrows, dark eyelids, a long, narrow nose; small pink lips, small ears, and sphere like earrings.

She wore a maroon-red dress that clung to her very feminine figure. The neck of the dress was wide and square and it showed a lot of the woman's upper chest and collar bone, including several inches of cleavage. The rim of the dress was outlined in an inch and a half of gold fabric. The sleeves of the dress were three-quarters length and the fabric flowed down in wide flaps from the end of the sleeves; the inner fabric was the same yellow-gold as the rim on the top of the dress. The fabric of the dress fit snuggly over her large chest, hour-glass figure and wide hips. At her waist was a golden-rope belt with a golden metal circle that was like belt buckle. The golden rope on the belt hung down from the belt buckle all the way down to the floor. The skirt of the dress was loose and flickered every which direction with the slightest move. The dress hid the woman's long legs, but when she walked, Jack could see short brown boots made for hiking.

"Welcome home, mother!" Rapunzel chirped happily to the woman.

The woman graciously wrapped her long arms around Rapunzel in a tight hug. "Mm, it's good to be home, Flower."

Inside the wardrobe, Jack sat comfortably, peering through the crack. He couldn't figure out how Rapunzel and her mother were related, they looked nothing alike; perhaps Rapunzel looked more like her father.

After a minute, her mother glanced around the spacious room, shaking her head. "Rapunzel, it's an absolute mess in here! What have you been doing?" She noted the misplaced chair by the wall, the frying pan stranded in the middle of the room and the several puddles left from Jack's snowflakes.

_Interrogating strangers. _Jack thought to himself, but listened for Rapunzel's explanation.

"Uh… It's just been a rough morning for cooking and cleaning." Jack saw Rapunzel sheepishly smile through the crack.

Rapunzel's mother looked the least bit impressed. "A rough morning?" She asked dully.

"Well, you see; I was washing the floor when I hit my head on the chair and it hurt so much that I just stopped cleaning and-" She began to mumble quickly under her breath.

"Rapunzel, enough with the mumbling; you know how I feel about the mumbling!" Her mother responded, cutting her off. "If your head hurt so much, why didn't you just use your hair?"

"Oh." Rapunzel breathed; Jack quirked an eyebrow at her mother's comment on Rapunzel's hair. "Right, I guess I just had a blonde moment." Rapunzel sheepishly smiled once more.

Her mother clicked her tongue. Her face suddenly became soft. "Well, then, other than hitting your head, Flower; how was your day?" She asked lightly.

"It was really good, actually!" She beamed in response.

"Good, because it's about to get better!" The woman lightly smiled.

"Really? How?" Rapunzel gasped. Her mother pulled a wrapped up object from the burlap sack on her waist and handed it to Rapunzel.

Shock crossed her face and she quickly opened it. "I was able to get my hands on that book I told you about." Her mother explained once it was open.

Delight eased into Rapunzel's expression and she hugged her mother in gratitude. "Oh, thank you mother! I can't wait to read it!" She beamed.

"You're welcome, Flower, I'm glad you like it." Her mother responded.

Jack began to tune out the conversation, mainly because he was falling asleep. Other than the amount of time he was asleep when Rapunzel knocked him out cold, Jack hadn't had much sleep for several days. He didn't have to sleep as much as a normal human, but he did have to sleep. Jack lightly dozed off, resting his head against the side of the wardrobe.

"Good-bye, my flower, I'll see you later!" The voice of Rapunzel's mother aroused Jack from his sleep hours later. He heavily breathed, slowly waking up. He must have been a sleep for a long time, his joints felt as still as statue's.

The doors of the wooden wardrobe unexpectedly opened and Jack blinked back the sudden light. As his eyes adjusted, he saw Rapunzel standing before him; a light smile on her pink lips, her long blonde hair trailing behind her. "Sorry you had to stay in there for so long; my mom normally doesn't stay for more than an hour or so." She spoke.

"Ah, that's okay; I just got some well-needed sleep." Jack responded, sitting straight up. "At least my head doesn't hurt anymore." He added, feeling what was left of the bump on the back of his head.

"Yeah, sorry about that..." Rapunzel smirked. Jack dismissed the subject with the wave of his hand. "Good news though, you don't snore!" She giggled.

"Well, that's good." He grinned teasingly.

"Here, let's get you and your stick out of my closet." She offered him a hand. Jack took her small right hand in his cold left hand. He placed his other hand on the side of the wardrobe.

"Actually, it's a staff." He responded.

"Stick, staff; it's the same thing." She gave his cold hand a playful tug.

Jack practically flew out of the wardrobe at her tug and landed on his bare feet; but not before he cut his right hand on the rusted hinge of the wardrobe's door. Jack's teeth ground together, but a hiss still escaped his lips and he clenched his injured hand in a tight fist.

"How bad is it?" Rapunzel lowered her eyes after realizing he had been hurt.

Jack loosened his fist and slightly uncurled his fingers, only to quickly clench them back into a fist. "I'm fine, Punzie." Jack replied.

Rapunzel glared up at him. "Jack." She scowled. Giving up, Jack held up his cut hand and painfully uncurled his fingers, revealing his blood stained palm and fingertips. A clean slit had been made across his pale white hand and blood effortlessly flowed from the cut. Rapunzel abruptly began to tug on a section of her hair, pulling all seventy feet of it to her until the ending tips rested in her palm.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked cautiously, clenching his hand in a fist once more.

"You showed me your powers; it's time I showed you mine." She looked into his eyes. Sudden confusion crossed his face, temporarily freeing him of the pain of his limb. She carefully took his injured hand in her hands. Her soft and careful fingers worked his hand open and wound perhaps a foot or two of her hair around his wound.

"Just… don't freak out." She spoke. Jack nodded trustingly.

Rapunzel breathed heavily. "Flower gleam and glow," She began to sing and her blonde hair suddenly began to glow a brilliant golden yellow at her roots. The glow moved down the length of her hair. "Let your power shine." Shock crossed Jack's face. "Make the clock reverse; bring back what once was mine." She sang softly and the golden light drew closer to Jack's hair wrapped hand. "Heal what has been hurt, change the fate's design; save what has been lost." The light enveloped Jack's hand and he gasped at the sudden warmth it brought. "Bring back what once was mine, what once was mine." She finished her short song and the light quickly receded from Jack's hand to her roots and disappeared entirely. She quietly unwound the hair from around his hand and it fell to the ground inaudibly.

Jack stared at his hand, astonished. His mouth even popped open in shock. Before him, his hand was spotless and perfect. The pale skin was fresh and healed, as if he had never cut it. Jack looked at Rapunzel. "H-how did you do that?!" He asked. "It's like it never happened!"

Rapunzel shyly smiled. "I don't know how I do it; I've had these powers since I was a baby." She replied. "How long have you had your powers?" She asked, combing her fingers through her hair.

Jack smiled. "I haven't had them since I was a baby, but I've had them for 300 years."

"300 years?!" She raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yeah; it's a long story." Jack laughed lightly.

"Well, I've got loads of time!" She beamed, shrugging.

Rapunzel walked to the middle of the room and sat down on the cool tile. She crossed her legs and sat with her heart-shaped face in her long, soft hands. Laughing, Jack grabbed his staff from the inside of the wardrobe, being sure to avoid the door hinge; and sat down beside her, resting his staff on the ground.

"318 years ago, I was born as Jack Overland…" Jack began his story. Curiosity sparked in her green eyes and she listened intently, making sure to remember every word.

By the time Jack had finished his story, Rapunzel was lying on her stomach, and her head was propped up with her hands. Her legs swayed back and forth behind her, leisurely crossed at the ankles. She was impressed with his life story and asked many questions, which Jack happily responded to. The sun had long set and they still continued to talk.

"What's it like out there? Outside of this tower?" She asked.

"You've never left?" Jack frowned.

Rapunzel sat up. "No." She sighed. "My mother always told me the world was a dark and evil place. When I was a baby, someone tried to cut my hair. Once its cut," She pulled her hair to the side and revealed a short piece of chocolate brown hair. "It turns brown and loses its power." She explained. "Since then, I've been afraid of leaving. But, then again, mother would never let me go."

"Trust me, the world isn't as much of a dark place as your mother makes it seem. There are dark people, but it isn't dark." Jack responded, reaching out his hand to touch the brown piece of hair.

"Really?" Rapunzel asked, relieved that her fears weren't true.

"Really." He responded, touching a blonde piece of hair before dropping his hand. Either way, blonde or brown, her hair was soft, even softer than her gentle hands.

"If it's not as dark and dangerous as I thought; what is it like?" She looked at him.

"Almost everywhere around the world, it's happy and bright. Most of the time, birds chirp and people laugh and children play. The sun sits high in the sky and, at night, so does the moon, watching over them, protecting them. Sometimes a calm breeze fills the air… It's amazing, really." Jack described some of the life outside of her tower.

She closed her eyes, imagining it. "Do you think I'll be able to go somewhere someday?" She dreamily asked, lying back down.

Jack glanced down at her. How unfair it was, that he could just take off and go anywhere he pleased, while she was 17 and had never left her tower." I know you will." He spoke, the corner of his lips slowly pulled up.

"How do you know?" Her green eyes cracked open.

"I'll take you there, somewhere; anywhere you want." Jack replied.

"Promise?" She asked tiredly.

"I promise." He responded.

"Okay." She lightly smiled. After a while, she began to nod off, falling asleep.

"Hey, go to bed." He touched her shoulder. "I'll be here when you wake up." She tiredly nodded and slowly got up. She quietly walked over to her large bed and laid down, her hair trailing behind her. She almost instantly fell asleep. After a minute, Jack steadily stood up and walked over to the window, staff in hand. He rested the staff against the nearest wall and sat in the windowsill.

For a while, he sat there, staring at the moon. Had he found the lost girl with a dream? He silently asked the moon, but the moon was silent. Jack lowered his eyes from the moon to something off in the distance. He could barely make out the lights of corona over the massive wall of sheer rock that surrounded Rapunzel's tower. A deep sigh interrupted Jack's thoughts and he glanced back into the tower. Rapunzel peacefully slept in her bed, curled up in her long hair. In her sleep, Rapunzel looked even more child-like. Her features softened a little and she looked like she was 15, rather than nearly 18.

Warmth suddenly flooded Jack and he suddenly felt more obliged than ever to keep his promise to her. He had to help the dreamer.


	6. Chapter 5: A Life Long Friend

Chapter 5: A Life Long Friend

A small ray of light aroused Jack that morning and his ice blue eyes cracked open wearily. Once his eyes adjusted and he was fully awake, Jack watched as the bright sun steadily rose in the dawn's sky; breaking out of Jack's receding snow clouds, turning them a series of yellows, oranges, and pinks. The dark, night sky began to turn into its vibrant morning blue. He could hear the bird's occasional tweet that filled the morning silence.

Jack still sat in the windowsill, his head rested against the wooden frame. His arms were lazily crossed in his lap and his legs were stretched out. He heavily sighed before stretching, stiff from a few awkward hours of sleep. The sleeves of Jack's shirt resisted the movement and he unhappily dropped his arms to his lap. He was starting to miss his sweatshirt. It had been so comfy to move around in, unlike his vest, cape and shirt, which restricted most movements. But most of all, he missed the hood that he so often hid behind and the pockets that he could shove his hands into. Instead, he was stuck with his old vest and frost covered cape over a stiff white flannel shirt. Jack sighed once more and slid off of the wooden windowsill, standing up. Jack glanced around the large room, taking in the wooden panels and massive beans, Rapunzel's beautiful paintings, the large, purple wardrobe; Rapunzel's queen sized canopy bed and purple sheets; and it was then that Jack noticed the curtain on the wall in the back of the round room.

Grabbing his staff from the wall where he left it last night, Jack silently walked over to the deep purple curtain. With his free hand, he drew back the purple curtain and found another large room below. It must have been much larger than Rapunzel's room. Like her room, the floor was covered in large tan tiles; however, unlike her room, the massive round walls were made of large tan bricks. In one rounded corner of the room was a small kitchen with a fire-lit oven. More frying pans hung from the white cabinets over the oven and Jack flinched; suddenly remembering the still large bump on the back of his head. After last night, Jack never wanted to see a metal frying pan ever again.

Before him was a white, wooden staircase that arched alongside the curved wall and led down to the room below. While Jack scanned the large room, he saw two wooden guitars, one yellow, the other red; a table covered in a myriad of candles, a dart board, another wooden chair and a wooden game of chess. After a few short minutes of glancing around, Jack took a step back from the entrance and let the purple curtain fall back into place. He had just turned away from the curtain when a noise broke the morning silence and caught his attention. Jack froze in terror. It wasn't like anything he had ever heard before. It didn't sound like the creak of a door or someone deeply scowling; it sounded… reptilian. Still frozen in terror, he slowly turned his head and looked around the motionless room for the source of the sound. His eyes scanned the room another time, still not finding whatever it was. Jack listened for a moment, but there was nothing except Rapunzel's deep breathing. Perhaps it had just been his imagination. His grip loosened around his wooden staff and he relaxed.

More light flooded through the window and caught Jack's attention, distracting him. He took a step to head towards the window once more when the sound came again. Jack froze. Now knowing where the sound came from, he glanced down at the ground. In front of his pale, bare feet was a small reptile. The small creature was completely one color, a bright green. Its round head had large white eyes with small black pupils. It had four short legs, each having only two toes; a curled tail, and a narrow body. Startled, Jack jumped into the air and landed on Rapunzel's nearby dresser. A light thud echoed off of the wooden dresser on impact, the wood groaning in protest against Jack's weight. The reptile's eyes watched Jack's every move and scowled up at him, the noise breaking through its scaled lips. At first, it looked like a large lizard; however, Jack looked at it and noticed the distinct ring around its wide eyes and he watched as the green creature turned a bright red. He instantly knew the reptile was a Chameleon.

Jack peered down at the chameleon for a while, watching it angrily stare up at him. He lightly leaned over the edge of the dresser, his pale hands gripping the trimmed purple wood. He began to ponder how long it had been there, after all, he hadn't seen it last night while he was talking to Rapunzel.

"Jack, are you alright?" Rapunzel's quiet voice broke the strange silence. Jack looked up to find Rapunzel sitting up in her bed, her hair messy from sleeping.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Jack responded. "The Chameleon just startled me."

She gasped. "Pascal, there you are!" Rapunzel jumped up and nearly ran over to the reptilian, scooping up the creature in her hands. The Chameleon immediately turned back to its usual bright-green color. Its curled tail flicked with happiness and it exchanged a few squeaks with Rapunzel before she turned her attention back to Jack. "When you came, he kind of disappeared."

"That's your pet?" Jack quirked an eyebrow.

She nodded eagerly. "Yup! Jack, meet Pascal, my Chameleon." She grinned.

"That's… a, uh… interesting choice of a pet…" He responded.

"Well, I didn't really choose Pascal; when I was a child, my mother brought him to me. The poor guy had been injured and was scared of his own shadow; that's when I decided to keep him. I healed him and helped him become less shy. He has been mine ever since." She spoke.

"Oh." Jack straightened out a little bit and leapt off of the dresser. However, when Jack walked over to her; Pascal made the same reptilian scowled from before and glared at him. "Well, someone isn't much of a people person." He smirked.

Rapunzel looked down at Pascal, thinking. "He never has been. Hmm, we might have to change that." She placed him on her left shoulder.

"I don't think that's something you can change, Punzie." Jack spoke, resting his staff across his shoulders leisurely.

"Oh sure it is." She grinned, dismissing his comment with a wave of her hand. She stood and picked up the metal frying pan that she had left on the ground from yesterday. Frying pan in hand, Rapunzel pushed aside the curtain and walked down the wooden stairway, all seventy feet of hair steadily following her. For a minute, Jack watched her long hair snaked down the stairs and across the tile in a quick manor, moving just as fast as she was. She must be pretty strong to be able to have hair as long and heavy as it is.

Shrugging, Jack followed alongside her hair through the curtain and to the stairs. He gripped his staff in his right hand and flew down from the stairway's balcony. "What do you do in this place anyway?" He asked, landing on the cool tile. He looked around the room some more, noticing things he hadn't before.

Rapunzel hung up the frying pan with the rest and turned to look at him. "Most of the time, I paint or read; I really don't have much to do. However, on days like today, I clean the tower." She picked up a broom from the side of the wall.

"Oh." Jack smirked. After a minute, he added. "Anything I can help with?"

Rapunzel thought for a moment. "You could wipe up the puddles left from your snowflakes." She tossed him a rag, a light, teasing smile on her face. Jack sighed, but did as she said.

A couple of hours had passed and Jack and Rapunzel had swept, washed, waxed and washed the floor again; the tiles shown like a piece of glass, sparkling in the sunlight.

Using her hair, Rapunzel had pulled a lever high up on the wall and opened the inner walls of the pointed ceiling; letting in more light from the open windows above. They had dusted shelves, scrubbed the oven top, cleaned Rapunzel's two mirrors, and organized her paints.

"What are you going to do when you run out of wall space for painting?" Jack asked as they sat on the clean tile floor, leaning over the wooden chest that contained her paints.

Rapunzel sat beside Jack and organized her paintbrushes, thinking of a solution. "Hmm, I'll probably just paint over some of my older paintings; there's always room for improvement." She spoke after a moment. "I don't really have canvases to work with." She added, smirking.

"I might be able to get you a few from Corona." He replied.

"Corona?" She glanced up at him, interested.

"It's the nearby kingdom; at night, you can somewhat see its lights over the rock wall that hides your tower." He responded.

"Oh, what's it like there?!" She asked.

"Well, there's a massive castle. It's an orange-ish color with several towers like this one. There are thousands of cottages and shops with shingled roofs and strips of purple banners. The people there have dark hair and bright eyes. They are the liveliest people I have ever met." Jack informed her.

Rapunzel sighed happily. "I wish I could go there." She smirked.

Jack thought as a silence fell between them. After a minute, he broke the silence. "You know, it just dawned on me; Corona is having some kind of festival in a week or so. I could take you there."

"Really?!" She straightened up.

"Sure." He smiled at her.

"Thanks Jack!" She abruptly hugged him.

Hesitating for only a few seconds, Jack hugged her back. "You're welcome, Punzie."

"Rapunzel, let down your hair!" Her mother called. It must have been noon by now.

"Coming!" Rapunzel called before letting go of Jack.

"I'm going to go; I'll be back later." Jack spoke. She nodded.

"See you later!" She called after him as he grabbed his staff and flew up into the ceiling window and outside. Then, she began throwing her hair over the windowsill. Once her hair became taught, she pulled it up until her mother stood before her.

"My, Rapunzel, it looks so much cleaner in here! You must have been cleaning all day long!" Her mother spoke, shocked by the spotless room in front of her.

Rapunzel smiled lightly. "It feels like it. I just couldn't stand how dirty it was getting…"

"Well, it looks wonderful, flower." Her mother hugged her.

Rapunzel's mother had stayed for several hours and Rapunzel had begun to wonder where Jack had gone, after all, she had expected him to return any minute; another hour passed and he still wasn't back. Her mother had sat down and ate lunch with her, talking about her day in the woods and the small barter town nearby and how she had to fight off several people for what she needed. Rapunzel began to think about how Jack had talked about the people around here and compared it to her mother's description. She felt confused, mainly because her mother's description was nothing like Jack's. Was Jack lying? Or was her mother? She wasn't so sure; after all, she had known her mother all of her life, while she had barely known Jack for two days; could she trust what he said? After a small debate in her head, Rapunzel decided to trust him; considering that very few people, if only one person, could fly and make snow.

Rapunzel stood at her window, peering out the windowsill, searching for her friend. The sun sat low in the sky and the horizon turned colorful with the setting sun. A cool breeze blew through the air and brushed aside Rapunzel's blonde hair. She breathed in deeply and heavily sighed, unsure. The yellow sun quickly set behind the rock wall that hid her tower and darkness fell upon the cove. Slowly, Rapunzel pulled herself onto the windowsill where she sat, toying patiently with her hair, Pascal on her shoulder. "He said he would be back, didn't he?" She spoke softly to Pascal. The green creature let out a quiet squeak and nodded at her. She smirked a little and looked back out her window, the stars catching her attention temporarily. She could make out the Northern Star and the Big Dipper. She sighed again. "Where is he?" She stroked her long fingers through her blonde hair, lightly tossing a thick strip of it over the windowsill; feeling it shift with the cool breeze, flowing freely to the ground below.

She then remembered what Jack had told her about Corona and she glanced up, over the rock wall and saw it. A golden glow shown over the rock wall and she knew it was the lights of Corona. The corners of her lips pulled up into a bright smile and she stood up, still in the windowsill. She lightly grabbed the metal hook in the window pane and leaned forward a little, trying to get a better look at the lights off in the distance. Warmth flooded her and she couldn't help letting out a small giggle. "Look Pascal! The lights of Corona!" Pascal squeaked in reply, looking at them too. "Oh, how I'd love to see those lights up close!" She added in awe. She watched the flickering glow of the kingdom for several minutes before her smile faded and she felt alone again. A sudden heaviness hit her and she closed her eyes sadly. "And yet I know I'll never be able to see them as close as I want to." She quietly let go of the hook and stepped down off of the windowsill and back into her now dark bedroom. She sadly crossed her arms across her stomach and slowly walked across her room, glancing at many of her paintings; the ones of stars and trees and the one of her dancing in the forest. Would she ever feel grass between her toes, or feel water running along her legs as she stood in a river or even a stream? Would she ever stand in a crowd of people or make more friends? Pascal cuddled next to her neck, trying to comfort her. Her arms dropped and she grabbed a match to light the candles in her room. One by one they were lit and the room glowed orange.

She walked to her large bed and sat down. She felt the sheets beneath her hands and she looked at the window once more. "I've got my mother's love" She softly sang. "I shouldn't ask for more." She closed her eyes. "I've got so many things, I should be thankful for." She continued singing. "Yes, I have everything; except, I guess, the door." She cracked open her eyes and glanced at the window again. "Perhaps it's better that I stay in. But tell me, when will my life begin?" She shifted her body so that her legs were now on the bed and she leaned against her pillows, closing her eyes. Finished with her short song, Rapunzel sighed. If only her hair could heal her lonely heart.

A cool breeze entered her room through the window, and for the first time in forever, Rapunzel wanted to close her window; not wanting to see the world outside of her tower, so she wouldn't have to long to see something she never could. Seventeen years, and she was still stuck in this tower.

"Psst." A noise came from the window. "Punzie, 'you awake?" Rapunzel's eyes flashed open and she lurched up in her bed.

"Jack?" She asked. A white head peeked into her window, peering into the room. She noticed that the wind had blown most of her candles out.

"Hey, I'm back." He flew into the room, staff in hand. "I'm sorry I took so long."

Rapunzel scooted off of her bed and walked up to him, her hair trailing behind her. "Oh, that's okay…." She spoke. "What were you doing?" She asked, noticing that one of his hands was behind his back.

"Well, I went to Corona; and even though it isn't that far from here, it took me a while to get there because I got lost on the way there. But, I did promise you a painting canvas." The arm behind his back moved and he held out a canvas that was about as large as his torso.

Shock crossed Rapunzel's face. She gasped in surprise. "Oh, Jack, you shouldn't have!" She grinned at him.

"It's, uh, nothing, really." He grinned back. Rapunzel abruptly hugged him. His grin only became bigger.

"Thank you, Jack!" She rested her chin on his shoulder.

"You're welcome." He hugged her back. After several more seconds, they released each other.

Rapunzel squealed. "Now I have to figure out what to paint!" She grinned, placing her loosely clenched fists together in front of her body in an excited manor. At this point she could no longer sit still.

"It might be a little late to paint…" Jack smirked. "And besides, don't you need a lot of light?" He added

"Yeah, I guess I do… But that won't stop me from figuring out what to paint!" She beamed. Jack laughed as she lightly took the canvas from his cold hand and scurried over to her paint chest and placed it on the lid.

"Well, what haven't you painted?" Jack asked, trying to come up with an idea.

"A lot of things…." She smirked.

"That's a start, I guess." Jack sat down on the windowsill, placing his staff against the wall; like he had the night before.

Rapunzel sat on the ground near the window, a thoughtful look forming on her face. She lightly pulled on some pieces of her hair, as if it would help her train of thought. Although nothing was being spoken, Jack watched as conflict and resolve constantly crossed her face as if an idea would came to her, then she would brush it aside, think about it again and she would decide if she should paint it.

The corners of Jack's lips pulled up as he watched her and, once again, warmth filled his frozen heart. The full moon rose in the night sky and lit up everything in sight. It brought out her pale skin and her green eyes glinted like jewels in the moonlight, sparkling on her heart shaped face. The moonlight gave her hair an angel-like glow, and with seventy feet of it, it was amazing. However, as he sat there, Jack began to feel the heaviness of sleep dawning on him. His eyelids became heavy, his body relaxed, his breathing deepened, and his thoughts began to slow; and even though he fought it, the heaviness won him over and sleep closed his tired eyes.

Rapunzel smiled lightly when she realized that Jack had fallen asleep. An idea finally dawned upon her and she quietly stood up, trying not to wake him. She lightly walked over to the wooden chest and grabbed several paint brushes, paints and the canvas he had gotten her. She walked back and sat in the spot she had before. A smile broke out onto her face as she dipped one of the paint brushes into a paint container and stroked it across the canvas with ease. From the moment he had brought up the canvas she had known what she was going to paint. She just needed the subject at rest. A light blush formed on her pale cheeks, revealing more freckles on her face. She spent hours in the same place on the ground, the moonlight giving her the light she needed to paint. The same moonlight that made her hair glow, gave his hair an even brighter glow. It brought out his skin and deepened the shadows of his face. The night sky behind him twinkled with a myriad of stars and the lone, full moon sat in the right corner of her windowsill. She couldn't have asked for a better subject to paint, _her_ guardian.


	7. Chapter 6: The Thief

Chapter 6: The Thief

The sun slowly rose in the east, lighting up the early morning sky. The horizon quickly turned a rose-pink color and birds in the nearby trees began to chirp their little songs. Fresh morning air filled Jack's lungs and he heavily sighed, arousing from his sleep. It was then that he shifted his weight and the ground beneath him disappeared.

"Whoa!" Jack fell to the ground face first with a loud thud. Rapunzel lurched up in her bed, startled by the sudden commotion. "Ouch." Jack pushed himself off of the ground.

"Are you okay?" She asked, getting out of her bed and walking up to him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine; I just fell, that's all." Jack responded as she lent him a hand and helped him up from the ground.

"Oh, okay." She replied.

Several days had passed since the night Rapunzel had painted Jack sleeping in the windowsill under the moon's light. The next morning he had woken up in the early hours of dawn and found the canvas placed on the tile floor, covered in drying paint; surrounded by paintbrushes and paint jars. He was shocked at how good it looked, she had perfectly captured his sleeping face, the dark shadows around his eyes, the glow of his white hair in the moonlight, the curve of his jawline, the fuzz and frost of his cape and then, of course, the twinkling stars and full moon behind him. When Rapunzel woke up later that morning he talked to her about it, shocked that she had decided to paint him, and her cheeks blushed a bright red. Jack let it slide, knowing she was uncomfortable talking about the subject.

Rapunzel had many reasons for painting him that night, most of them were because she had never had a friend as good as Jack, with the exception of Pascal, and if and when he ever left and never came back, she needed to have some kind of picture to hold on to and remember her friend. However, the one reason she kept to herself was that she felt a connection with him. It was a connection that warmed her heart with every smile, and made her blush when she caught herself thing about him. She had never felt this way before, not towards her one and only pet, Pascal, nor to her own mother, who she loved dearly; but this, this was different.

Every day that passed was another day that they learned something new about each other. Rapunzel learned more about Jack's past and she constantly asked new questions, trying to get a better picture of what it was like to be free, outside of a tower's walls; free to roam anywhere she wanted to and not be held back by other people. Jack also tried to figure out what it was like staying in a tower all of his life, restricted from the entire world.

"How'd you sleep?" Rapunzel nodded towards the windowsill, which seemed to be his bed the past several days.

Jack stretched a little. "I slept alright, well, alright for a windowsill; that is until I fell." He mumbled.

"Good." She replied to the sleeping well part.

"How did you sleep?" Jack responded, finally getting all the kinks out of his neck.

Rapunzel lightly grinned. "Good as always." Jack nodded in response.

_Jack. _ The moon spoke in the early morning sky, slightly covered by the early morning clouds. _I need to talk to you. _

Jack abruptly looked through the window, his light smile dropping. "What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked, suddenly worried by the look on his face.

He glanced back at her. "I have to go talk to the moon. I'll be back in a while."

"Oh, okay." She responded. "See you later then." She added as Jack quickly grabbed his staff from the wood covered wall, where he always left it.

"See ya later, Punzie." Jack glanced back at her, a bright smile on his face; before leaping on to the windowsill and flying away into the morning sky. Rapunzel watched him with a smile on her sweet face for a moment, before she sighed and turned to Pascal; who sat on her dresser, staring at her.

"Well, what do you want to do today?" She asked him. A thoughtful looked crossed the small reptile's face and he squeaked, turning the same color as the dresser. "You want to play hide-and-seek?" Pascal squeaked again in reply. She lightly laughed. "Okay. You hide first!" She closed her eyes and started counting. "One, two, three…"

A little over an hour later, Pascal scrambled out the semi-closed window and hid behind a painted brown flower pot, blending into the object. He breathed hard as if he had been running.

"Ha!" Rapunzel shouted as she burst through the window shutters. Pascal held his breath. "Hmm. I guess Pascal's not hiding out here…" She spoke, knowing where he was hiding. She lightly placed her hands behind her back and innocently walked away. Pascal lightly sniggered, remaining in the same place behind the flower pot. It was then that a thin strip of Rapunzel's long hair wrapped around his green tail and yanked him up into the air that he stopped sniggering, startled. "Gotcha!" She grinned, hanging upside from the window frame. Pascal squeaked in surprise, returning to his normal green color. Rapunzel jumped down from the window sill and released her hair from the metal hook that hung from the window pane. "That's twenty-two for me. How about twenty-three out of forty-five?" She placed her hands lightly on her hips.

Pascal frowned, his eyes become smaller, and he sunk down to the windowsill. Rapunzel sat down next to him. "Okay, well, what do you wanna do?" He bounced up in a heartbeat, a squeal escaping his scaled lips and he motioned to the outside world, pointing at it with his long tail. His brown eyes glanced at her happily. Rapunzel made a face and shifted so that her legs were on the windowsill, picking Pascal up by the tail. She placed him on her knee, her legs hanging over the window. "Yeah, I don't think so. I like it in here and so do you." She pointed to him. He gave her a look and stuck his tongue out at her. She scooped him up in her hands, a sympathetic look on her face. "Oh come on Pascal, it's not so bad in there…" She turned around and jumped into her room, Pascal in her hands. She ran across her room, her hair following. She placed Pascal down on the clock that hung from a wooden beam and leapt onto the beams above, using her hair to pull the levers and let the light in. She slid down her hair and picked Pascal back up from the clock.

"Seven A.M., the usual morning line up." She sang. She began sweeping the tile floors. "Start up the chores and sweep till the floor's all clean. " She piled up her hair on the table by the wooden stairs. "Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up. Sweep again, and by then it's, like, seven- fifteen." She skidded over to her bookshelf and grabbed several books. "And so I'll read a book or maybe two or three, I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery! I'll play guitar and knit and cook and basically, just wonder when will my life begin?" She walked over to the fireplace and shoved the large wooden object above the fireplace to the side and began painting. "Then after lunch it's puzzles and darts and baking, Papier-Mache, a bit of ballet and chess; pottery and ventriloquy, candle-making, then I'll stretch, maybe sketch, take a climb, sew a dress!"

"And then I'll re-read the books if I have time to spare, I'll paint the walls some more, I'm sure there's room somewhere. And then I'll brush and brush and brush and brush my hair." She sat on one of the wooden beams, finishing brushing her long hair. "Stuck in the same place I've always been, and I'll keep wondering and wondering and wondering and wondering, when will my life begin?" She threw her hair in circles around her. She skipped back over to the window, leaning against it with her arms loosely crossed across her chest. She sighed; it was just a few days before her eighteenth birthday. "On Tuesday night, Lights will appear, just like they do on my birthday each year. What is it like out where they glow? Now that I'm older, mother might just let me go…" She left the window again and added herself to the painting of the floating lights she had painted earlier. After few minutes, Rapunzel climbed down from the fireplace and began putting her paints away.

"This is it. This is a very big day, Pascal. Hmm-mm. I'm finally gonna do it. I'm gonna ask her." She spoke to Pascal as she placed her paints back in the wooden chest.

"Rapunzel!" Her mother's voice called in the distance. Rapunzel gasped in excitement. "Let down your hair!"

Rapunzel squealed. "It's time." She sat up. "I know, I know, come on, don't let her see you." She placed Pascal on her painting and covered it with the surrounding curtain.

"Rapunzel, I'm not getting any younger down here." Her mother called.

"Coming, mother!" She ran over to the window, throwing her hair over the windowsill and hung it from the metal hook. Her long hair almost automatically became taught and she began pulling her mother up, foot by foot. "Hi. Welcome home, mother."

"Uh, Rapunzel! How you manage to do that every day without fail! It looks absolutely exhausting, darling." Her mother stepped down from the windowsill, her curly black hair bouncing off of her back as she moved.

Rapunzel shrugged. "Oh, it's nothing."

"Then I don't know why it takes so long!" Her mother laughed, poking her nose. "Oh, darling, I'm just teasing." She walked over to one of Rapunzel's mirrors.

"Hmm, he-he-he. Alright, so, mother, as you know," She followed her mother to the mirror and stood beside her. "Tomorrow is a very big day-"

Her mother cut her off. "Rapunzel, look in the mirror. You know what I see? I see a strong, confident, beautiful young lady." The corners of Rapunzel's lips pulled up. "Oh look, you're there too." Her mother laughed and Rapunzel's face dropped. "I'm just teasing! Stop taking everything so seriously, agh." She began to check herself out in the mirror, making weird faces for some strange reason.

"Okay, so mother," Rapunzel tried again. "As I was saying, tomorrow-"

Her mother cut her off again. "Rapunzel, mother's feeling a little run-down. Would you sing for me, dear? Then we'll talk."

"Oh! Of course, mother." She quickly began scrambling around, grabbing a wooden chair and foot stool. She sat her mother down, giving her a brush and began rapidly singing her short little song, in a rush to talk to her. "Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse-"

"Wait!" Her mother tried to slow her down.

"Bring back what once was mine."

"Wait!"

"Heal what has been hurt, change the fate's design." Her mother began brushing her hair, trying to get some of the golden light closer to her before Rapunzel finished her song. "Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine."

"Rapunzel!" Her mother gave her a look.

"So, mother, earlier I was saying tomorrow's a pretty big day and you didn't really respond, so I'm just gonna tell you, it's my birthday! Tada!" Rapunzel spoke quickly, leaning against her mother's chair, holding onto her arm.

Her mother shook her off. "No, no, no, can't be. I distinctly remember: your birthday was last year." She smiled at Rapunzel.

"Well, that's the funny thing about birthdays; they are kind of an annual thing!" Rapunzel sat back onto her stool. "Uh. Mother, I'm turning eighteen, and I want to ask, uh, what I really want for this birthday… actually what I have wanted for a lot of birthdays-" She began to mumble, pulling on a strip of hair.

"Okay, Rapunzel, please stop with the mumbling. You know how I feel about the mumbling –blah-blah-blah-blah-, it's very annoying, I'm just teasing, you're adorable," Her mother pinched her cheek and poked her nose. "I love you so much, darling." She stood up and walked over to the table by the stairs. Rapunzel glanced over in Pascal's direction. The chameleon motioned for her to try again.

"Agh, I want to see the floating lights!" Rapunzel spoke out.

Her mother froze where she was, an apple from a basket in her hand. "What?"

Rapunzel began to explain, standing up and revealing her painting of the floating lights above the fireplace. "Oh. Well, I was hoping you would take me to see the floating lights."

"Ooh, you mean the stars." She replied, placing the apple back.

"That's the thing." Rapunzel used her hair to open up a window up in the roof, revealing paintings of stars. "I've charted stars and they are always constant- but these, they only appear every year on my birthday, only my birthday." Rapunzel leaned against the fireplace. "And I can't help but feel like they're… they're meant for me. I need to see them, mother and not just from my window. In person. I have to know what they are."

Her mother walked over to the main window. "You want to go outside?" She closed the shutters. She began singing. "Why, Rapunzel! Look at you, as fragile as a flower," She walked up to Rapunzel, dancing with her for a few seconds before patting the top of her head "Still a sapling, just a sprout." She sang. "You know why we stay up in this tower."

"I know but…" Rapunzel began, but was cut off.

"That's right, to keep you safe and sound, yes." She felt Rapunzel's long hair. "Guess I always knew this day was coming, knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest. Soon, but not yet." She began walking up the stairs.

"But-"

"Shh! Trust me, pet. Mother knows best." She sang, bumping her hips against one of the wooden beams, making the lights go out. Rapunzel lit a candle. "Mother knows best, listen to your mother."

The candle's light lit up her mother's face, startling Rapunzel. "Agh!"

"It's a scary world out there." Something pulled on her hair. "Mother knows best. One way or another." Rapunzel's hair was released and she fell to the ground, her arms caught by her mother's. "Something will go wrong, I swear." Her mother dropped her. Shadows began to swarm Rapunzel. "Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals and snakes…" Her mother appeared with a green lantern. "The plague!"

"No!" Rapunzel gasped.

"Yes!" She replied and disappeared again.

"But-"

"Also large bugs, men with pointy teeth, and stop, no more, you'll just upset me." She appeared again, a painting of a red man on the tile floor. Rapunzel hid herself in her hair on the floor. "Mother's right here, mother will protect you. Darling here's what I suggest. Skip the drama, stay with mama. Mother knows best. Ah, hahahaha…" Rapunzel began lighting candles, but her mother blew them out right after. "Mother knows best. Take it from your mumsy. On your own, you won't survive. Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy. Please, they'll eat you up alive! Gullible, naïve, positively grubby. Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm vague. Plus, I believe, getting kinda chubby. I'm just saying 'cause I wuv you. Mother understands, mother's here to help you." She sang, now standing in the center of the room, light up by the light that flowed through one opening in the ceiling. She held her arms out, inviting Rapunzel over. "All I have is one request!"

Rapunzel smiled and ran over to her, hugging her. "Rapunzel?" Her mother spoke.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Don't ever ask to leave this tower again." She grabbed Rapunzel by the shoulders and looked down at her.

Rapunzel blinked, sad and confused. "Yes, mother." She looked down.

"Uh, I love you very much, dear." Her mother titled her head back up.

"I love you more." She replied.

"I love you most." She kissed the hair at the top of Rapunzel's head. "Don't forget it, you'll regret it. Mother knows best!"

"Ta-ta; I'll see you in a bit, my flower!" Her mother called as she slid down the length of Rapunzel's hair.

"I'll be right here." Rapunzel unhooked her hair and leaned sadly against the windowsill. Sad once again, she let her hair flow in the wind outside of her tower. As hard as she had tried, her mother still wouldn't let her leave this tower and see the lights. Tears fell from her eyes and streaked down her round cheeks, falling to the wood of the windowsill below. At least she had tried.

Rapunzel slowly pulled her hair up after a few minutes and sat in the chair near the window, numb from everything that had happened today. Another few minutes had passed when a sound caught her attention. She stood up and grabbed the frying pan that was on the ground, left by her mother from her little 'show'. She leaned against the wall near her window and silently watched as someone climbed in through the window. He panted hard for a few seconds, leaning against the now closed window, not noticing Rapunzel because he turned his back to her and looked into some kind of bag. "Ah, alone at last." He spoke just as she lifted the metal frying pan up and whacked him in the back of the head. He automatically fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Eeek!" She squeaked and hid behind the clothing model for sewing. She scooted the model forward to get a better look at this stranger. She cautiously left the model's side, frying pan in her hand, and walked up to the person. Quietly, she used the frying pan to poke at the back of his head, making sure he was out cold. She took a hesitant step back, looking at Pascal, who had scampered over to her side. He cocked his head to the side. She looked back at the stranger, pushing his head to the side with the frying pan so she could see is face. She looked back at Pascal, who took a few steps over to her mother's painting of a man with pointed teeth. He held up two of his toes to his mouth and turned the same red color as the painting, making his reptilian-scowl noise. Rapunzel flipped the frying pan in her hand, so that the handled faced the stranger. She then opened his mouth with the handle, which revealed his teeth were square, not pointed like Rapunzel suddenly feared they were. "Oh." She breathed. She used the frying pan to flip his ear length hair out of his face. She sighed, her shoulders relaxing. She was shocked by how good looking this stranger was. She leaned in closer to get a better look at him.

He had a long face with a pointed chin and short forehead. He had prominent cheek bones, wide nostrils, a straight nose, straight, brown eyebrows, full lips and hair on his chin. His teeth were straight and his eyelashes were long. His upper lip was slightly larger than his lower; he had a small hint of sideburns, and heavy eyelids. His ear-length hair was a medium brown and from the side view, his jaw-line looked round. His neck was fairly short and his wide shoulders were broad. He wore a white shirt with sleeves that stopped at his elbows and a blue leather vest. Around his waist was a small tan-brown bag that contained a few of his belongings. He wore tan pants and brown leather boots that stopped just below the knee. His arms were fairly thick and his hands were large. Looking at this stranger almost made Rapunzel completely forget about Jack.

Not even a minute later, the stranger's brown eyes flashed open. "Huh?" Was the only thing he could get out before the frying pan came down on his head again. For sure this time he was out cold. Another minute passed and Rapunzel dragged the stranger to her closet by her hair, struggling under his weight. She looked at her closet, trying to figure out how to get him in there. Jack wasn't much of a problem because he weighed about as much as her and had a relatively small body; but this man was much larger than both of them and he weighed much more. At first, she tried scooting him into the closet, except he didn't go in at all that time and his head got stuck underneath the dresser. The second time she climbed up onto a beam and used her hair to sling him into the closet, only to have her hair get stuck in there as well. The third time she got him in, but he would up upside down and the doors refused to move. The fourth time she got him in and the doors closed, but as soon as she turned around, his body weight shifted the doors open and he collapsed to the ground, knocking her over. The fifth time, she used a broom and shoved him in and closed the doors, catching his hand in the doors. She quickly poked his fingers into the dresser and blocked the doors with the wooden chair. She slowly backed away , frying pan facing the closet.

"Okay, Okay, okay, I've got a person in my closet. I've got a person in my closet." She caught a glimpse of herself in the nearby mirror and she looked at herself with pride. "I've got a person in my closet! Haha! Uh! Too weak to handle myself out there, huh, mother? Well… hmm-mm… tell that to my frying pan-" She swung the frying pan around in a circle in her hand, accidently hitting herself in the face. She winced and rubbed the now sore skin. It was then a reflection of light caught her attention and she turned around to find a leather satchel in the middle of her room. That's what he must have been looking at. She silently walked over to the bag and reached inside, grabbing whatever object was in it. What came out shocked her. It was some kind of round object, made of gold and decorated with exotic gems and jewels. There was a massive oval-shaped jewel, perhaps a diamond, on the front of the object, surrounded by two smaller jewels, which were surrounded by hundreds of much smaller jewels. What on earth could it be? She thought to herself. Maybe some kind of bracelet? Rapunzel put it on her arm. The object was way too big for a bracelet. Pascal shook his head. A magnifying glass? She looked through the jewels at Pascal, which did zoom in on him, but not well. He shook his head again. She continued thinking, turning around to look at the mirror. Slowly an idea came to her and she placed it on her head, resting it on her golden locks. She looked at herself in the mirror, dazed by how beautiful it looked on her, as if it was meant for her. Pascal shook his head in disapproval, but Rapunzel didn't even notice.

"Rapunzel!" Her mother called. Rapunzel gasped, ripping the object from her head and placing it and the satchel she had found it in in a pot nearby. "Let down your hair!"

"One moment, mother!" Rapunzel called as she scooped up her hair and poured it over the window's edge.

"I have a big surprise!" Her mother called as she began pulling her hair up.

"Uh, I do too!" Rapunzel called back.

"Ooh, I bet my surprise is bigger!" Responded her mother.

"I seriously doubt it." She whispered as she continued to pull her mother up.

Her mother pulled herself up onto the ridge of the windowsill and sat. "I brought back parsnips. I'm going to make hazelnut soup for dinner, your favorite; surprise!"

"Well mother, there's something I want to tell you." Rapunzel began.

"Oh Rapunzel, you know I hate leaving you after a fight, especially when I've done absolutely nothing wrong." She walked over to the table and started placing the parsnips on it.

"Okay, I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier and-" Rapunzel spoke.

Her mother interrupted her. "I hope you're not still talking about the stars."

"'Floating lights' and, yes, I'm leading up to that, and-"She replied.

"Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart."

"No, mother, I'm just saying, you think I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there." Rapunzel stated.

"Oh darling, I know you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there." Her mother replied, looking over her shoulder at her.

"But if you just-" Rapunzel started.

"Rapunzel, we're done talking about this."

"Trust me-"

"Rapunzel-"

"I know what I'm saying-" Rapunzel placed her hand on the chair that blocked the closet.

"Rapunzel."

"Oh, come on-" Rapunzel tried to get her mother to listen to her.

"Enough with the lights, Rapunzel! You are never leaving this tower! Ever!" Her mother turned around and raised her voice. Shock pierced its way through Rapunzel's body and her hand released the wooden chair. "Ugh, great. Now I'm the bad guy." Her mother sat down, placing a hand to her head.

Rapunzel looked at her painting of the lights and then looked at the closet. "All I was gonna say, mother, is that, I know what I want for my birthday now." She lightly crossed her arms across her chest and took a small step forward.

"And what is that?" Her mother's voice was strained.

Rapunzel's voice was small and scared, as if anything she said would infuriate her mother. "New paint. The paint made from the white shells you once brought me."

"Well, that is a very long trip, Rapunzel. Almost three days' time." Her mother looked at her in irritation.

"I just thought it was a better idea than … the stars." Rapunzel paused.

Her mother sighed. "You're sure you'll be alright on your own?"

"I know I'm safe as long as I'm here." She responded, and hugged her mom as she walked up to her. Her mother kissed the top of her head. Rapunzel quickly packed her mother a basket full of food to take on her journey.

"I'll be back in three days' time. I love you very much, dear." Her mother responded.

" I love you more." Rapunzel replied.

"I love you most."

Rapunzel stood in the windowsill, waving her mother good-bye; however, as soon as her mother was out of sight, Rapunzel scrambled away from the window and to her closet. She pried away the chair, frying pan in hand. "Okay." She breathed to herself and stepped back, roping her hair and using it to open the closet doors; prepared for anything. However, the closet doors opened peacefully and the stranger's still sleeping body fell face flat onto the ground, crushing his face. Rapunzel winced. She slowly walked up to him. "Hmm."

"Whoa, Punzie, who's your friend there?" A voice spoke from behind her and she started. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Jack lightly rose his hands when she looked at him.

"How long have you been here?" She asked, rubbing her nose; as if she had been crying and it had started to run.

Jack sighed. "I got here shortly after your mother did. I just sat above the window and waited until she left. Are you okay?" He asked.

"I've never been worse." She smirked, bending over to grab the stranger by the hand and yank him into the chair. This time it worked on the first try. She quickly worked to tie him to the chair with her hair.

"I'm sorry about your mother and the lights." Jack walked up to her, staff in hand. "How long has he been here?" He asked, motioning to the man she just tied up.

Rapunzel glanced at him. "A little over an hour."

"Oh." Jack replied. For several hours Jack had been talking to the moon about the upcoming journey. He had tried to get more information about it from the moon, but Manny didn't give him much. Jack had been frustrated and took off into the woods, where he stayed for another hour or two. When he had come back, Rapunzel had just pulled her mother back into the tower. He listened to their conversation, trying to make sense of it; for sure, he knew there was something wrong. But he hadn't expected this. Rapunzel had had her back facing him when he entered the tower and he watched as she had pulled away the chair and opened the doors. As soon as he had seen the stranger in the closet, his heart stopped. This guy was nearly twice his size and just about as much better good looking than he was.

Rapunzel climbed up onto a wooden beam and began pulling on her hair, moving the stranger and the chair into the sunlight. She opened a few more windows in the ceiling and Pascal emerged on the tile floor, walking up to the chair.

"What are you going to do to him? The same thing you did to me?" Jack asked. "'Cuz you know, you can't interrogate every stranger you meet." He called up at her.

"I can if they climb, or fly, into my tower." She mumbled. "Besides, you were different than this guy. You flew in with a bunch of objects on a belt and a wooden stick, you weren't much of a problem; this guy climbed in panting with some kind of really expensive piece of jewelry and who knows what else." She sat down on one of the beams, twirling a frying pan in her left hand.

Jack's eyebrows pulled together. "Expensive piece of jewelry? Where is it?" He asked.

"In the pot over there." She sighed.

Jack quickly walked over to the pot and reached in, grabbing the jeweled object. He gasped. "Rapunzel, this crown belongs to the missing princess of Corona; it was stolen this morning."

"How do you know that?" She asked, peering down at him.

"Not every day do you walk in the forest and see royal guards chasing a bunch of thieves. News spreads fast." He responded.

"Oh." Rapunzel spoke as Jack placed the crown back in the pot safely and walked into the shadow where she hid. Now in silence, they watched as Pascal climbed up the chair and on to the sleeping stranger's shoulder. At first, he walked up to the stranger's face and slapped him with his tiny little paw. The man didn't wake, but Pascal jumped back, turning the same color as his blue vest. After a few seconds Pascal returned to his normal color and began slapping him with his tail, then poking. Irritated that none of his work was working, Pascal turned back around to face the man's head, sat, and opened his jaw wide. Jack watched in humor, but nearly burst out laughing when Pascal's tongue shot out of his mouth and into the man's left ear. That time worked and the man's head shot straight up, aroused from his unconsciousness. Pascal was sent flying to the ground and the man wildly looked around, bewildered. Jack had to try everything he could to not burst out laughing.

"Agh! Huh?" He struggled to get up, but was restrained by Rapunzel's hair. Jack watched in amusement. "Is this…hair?" He spoke out loud, unsure of what he was seeing. It was then that Rapunzel decided to speak up.

"Struggling… Struggling is pointless." She spoke, hidden by the shadow that casted on the side of the room.

"Huh?" The man looked into the shadow, trying to figure out who was talking to him.

"I know why you're here, and I'm not afraid of you." She leapt down from one beam to the next until she was on the ground.

The man became confused. "What?"

Rapunzel emerged from the shadows, frying pan in hand. "Who are you? And how did you find me?" She asked.

"Aha." The man seemed frozen in place, as if he was struck by something.

"Who are you, and how did you find me?" She asked again.

"Mh-hm." He cleared his throat. Jack rolled his eyes. "I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you, but may I just say…" He grinned. "Hi." There was a pause. "How ya doin'? The name's Flynn Rider. How's your day going'? Huh?"

Rapunzel looked bewildered. Jack quirked an eyebrow. "Ugh! Who else knows my location, Flynn Rider?" She brought the frying pan closer to his head. He flinched a little.

"Alright, Blondie-" He began.

"Rapunzel." She corrected him.

"Gesundheit. Here's the deal: I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest. I came across your tower and… ho, oh no… where is my satchel?" He looked wildly around the room.

"I've hidden it, somewhere you'll never find it." She responded. Jack sniggered, remembering when she said the same thing to him.

Flynn looked around the room. "It's in that pot, isn't it?" He replied. Rapunzel glanced at it from the corner of her eye. Only the sound of a metal cling responded to his question.

"Yeesh, Punzie, you can't just go hitting someone because they guessed correctly." Jack spoke, walking out of the shadow.

"Like I should have done to you?" She asked, grabbing the crown and satchel from the pot and walking over to the stairs. Jack grew silent. Rapunzel placed the satchel and crown on the ground. She then turned to the first stair on the stairway and pried the chunk of wood up and off. The inside of the first step was hallow and she placed the crown inside the satchel before putting it in the hallow step. Once in, she placed the top of the step back on. "Pascal, do your thing." She spoke.

"Do you even trust this guy?" Jack asked her as Pascal climbed back up.

"At the moment, I'm not sure…" She walked in front of Flynn.

Jack mumbled to himself and walked over to the dresser and leapt on to the top of it. Pascal shot his tongue back into Flynn's ear and he awoke. "Er, uh. Huh?" He looked to his left and noticed Pascal on his shoulder, tongue in his ear. Flynn freaked out for a second, and threw Pascal off, wiping his ear on his left shoulder. "Would you stop that?!"

"Now it's hidden where you'll never find it." Rapunzel spoke. "So, what do you want with my hair? To cut it?" She began to circle around him.

"What?" Flynn looked bewildered this time.

"Sell it?" She continued.

"No! Listen, the only thing I want to do with your hair is to get out of it. Literally." Flynn spoke.

"Y-. Wait. You don't want my hair?" Rapunzel looked at him.

"Why on earth would I want your hair? Look, I was being chased, I saw a tower, I climbed, end of story." He replied.

"You're… telling the truth?" She held the frying pan up to him.

"Yes." He responded.

"Hmm." Rapunzel replied as Pascal ran down her shoulder, across her arm and over the frying pan, straight to Flynn's face. Flynn leaned back, unsure of the chameleon. Pascal motioned to Rapunzel he wanted to chat with her, alone.

"I don't trust him." Jack spoke, still sitting on the dresser. Flynn didn't react to Jack's comment. "Oh, look who doesn't believe in me…" he mumbled sarcastically. Rapunzel shot a look at Jack. He made a face and grew silent. Pascal began to squeak at her.

"I know, I need someone to take me." She whispered to Pascal. " I think he's telling the truth, too." Pascal squeaked some more. "Doesn't have fangs, but what choice do I have?"

Behind her, Flynn back to move the chair, hoping to get free of her hair. Jack watched him in amusement, strangely wishing he could freeze the guy to the ground. Pascal squeaked and motioned to Jack with his tail. "I know…" Another squeak. "This is different." She added. Jack glanced over at her, his eyebrows pulling together. She was still bent over, talking to Pascal.

"Okay, Flynn Rider, I'm prepared to offer you a deal." She straightened and began walking, past Flynn to the fireplace. Jack remained to keep his confused face.

Flynn quirked an eyebrow. "Deal?"

"Look this way." She yanked on her hair and the chair he sat in swiveled until he found himself face planting into the tile floor. She climbed up onto the fireplace and yanked back the curtain. "Do you know what these are?" Jack felt the blood drain from his face, as if he knew what was about to happen.

"You mean the lantern thing they do for the princess?" Flynn's voice sounded off because of his nose being squished against the ground.

Rapunzel looked at her painting, a hint of a smile on her face. "Lanterns. I knew they weren't stars." She turned her attention back to Flynn. "Well, on Tuesday evening, they will light the night sky with these lanterns. You will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns, and return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you. That is my deal." Jack breathed heavily. Rapunzel avoided eye contact with Jack. Flynn flipped his chair over so that he laid on his side, rather than his face.

"Yeah, no can do. Unfortunately, the kingdom and I aren't 'simpatico' at the moment. So I won't be taking you anywhere." Flynn responded. Pascal made a fist with one of his paws and motioned for Rapunzel to hit him. Her eyebrows pulled together and she leapt down from the fireplace and began to pull on her hair, bringing Flynn's hair-wrapped chair up to all four legs again.

"Something brought you here, Flynn Rider. Call it what you will: fate, destiny…."

"A horse." He made a face.

"So I have made the decision to trust you."

" A horrible decision, really." Flynn spoke. Jack's lips became a narrow line.

"But trust me when I tell you this." She tugged on her hair and the chair went flying forward. Rapunzel caught it just before it hit the ground again. "You can tear this tower apart, brick by brick, but without my help, you will never find your precious satchel."

Flynn made a face. "Hmm-mm. let me get this straight. I take you to see the lanterns, bring you back home, and you'll give me back my satchel?"

"I promise." She replied. He quirked an eyebrow, unconvinced. "And when I promise something, I never break that promise. Ever." Pascal nodded.

Flynn looked at Pascal, then back at Rapunzel. "Alright, listen, I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the smolder." He made a face that was apparently supposed to look like a smolder. Rapunzel gave him a stern look. "This is kind of an off day for me. This doesn't normally happen…. Fine, I'll take you to see the lanterns!" Jack scowled and got up, leaping off of the dresser.

"Really?" Rapunzel let go of the chair, sending Flynn crashing back to the ground. "Oops."

"You broke my smolder." Flynn groaned.

"So, Rapunzel," He said her full name this time, which caught her attention. "You can keep a promise, but you can't let me keep mine?!" Jack was furious.

Rapunzel opened her mouth to speak, but Jack tore his staff from the wall it was propped on and flew out the window. Her heart began to race and she began to feel just as small as she had when her mother yelled at her about the lanterns. Her eyes lowered and she sighed. What had she done? By getting Flynn to come, she had lost Jack.

"You comin', Blondie?" Flynn called up, climbing down the tower walls slowly. Rapunzel slowly stepped onto the windowsill, hooking her hair on the metal hook. She slowly looked down, nervous about leaving her tower.

"Look at the world so close, and I'm halfway to it!" She sang softly. "Look at it all so big, do I even dare?" She glanced back into her room, considering going back. "Look at me, there at last! I just have to do it. Should I? No. Here I go…" Pascal climbed onto her shoulder and tied himself to her hair. She took in a deep breath and leapt off of the windowpane. She felt the breeze in her face as she slid down to the ground on her hair, finally feeling free. It was then she looked down and stopped herself three feet above the ground, hanging in the air by her hair. She slowly stepped down, feeling the grass between her toes, just like she had always wanted to.

"Just feel the grass! The dirt! Just like I dreamed they'd be!" She sang, sinking down to the ground, rolling in the grass. She looked up as a Dandelion's flower petals blew away with the sudden breeze. She got up and followed it a little. "Just feel that summer breeze, the way it's calling me. For like the first time ever, I'm completely free!" She stopped again when she ran into a small stream and she bent over to scoop up a handful of the fresh water and tossed it into the air, feeling it fall back to the ground. She began running across the field. "I could go running, and racing, and dancing, and chasing, and leaping, and bounding, hair flying, heart pounding, and splashing, and reeling, and finally feeling. That's when my life begins!" She ran out of the cove, past the wall of ferns and into the forest, suddenly surrounded by birds that flew up into the trees.

"I can't believe I did this. I can't believe I did this." She whispered. "I can't believe I did this!" She jumped up and down in glee. She gasped. "Mother would be so furious." Rapunzel suddenly found herself sitting on a rock in the middle of the small stream, folding a lotus flower. "That's okay! I mean, what she doesn't know won't kill her, right?" Then she found herself in a dark cave outside in the forest. "Oh my gosh, this would kill her." She ran out of the cave, kicking a pile of leaves. "This is so fun!" And climbed a tree. "I am a horrible daughter, I'm going back." She spoke but got down and starting rolling down a hill, getting tangled in her long hair. "I am never going back! Woo-hoo." She found herself face flat in a meadow patch. "I am a despicable human being!" She got up and began swinging from a massive tree by her hair, acting as if her hair was a swing. "Woo-hoo! Best. Day. Ever!" She finally settled down against a rock and began sobbing.

Jack had never really left. Yes, he was furious with Rapunzel because she let him off the hook. But he couldn't stay mad at her forever. She was still his friend and he knew it was still his job to be her guardian. Not even a minute after he had flown away, he had flown back and sat on the tower's roof, getting over his anger with Rapunzel and waiting for her to come out. For sure she was probably untying Flynn. He listened as Flynn had scrambled out the window and made his slow descent to the ground below, using a bunch of arrows to climb his way down. He listened to Rapunzel sing as she debated if she should stay or really go and he leaned over the roof just in time to watch Rapunzel jump off of the window and go flying down, the wind blowing back her hair. He sighed and watched as she felt grass for the first time, watched as she ran in excitement out of the cove and into the forest, like a caged bird that was released into the wild. A smile crept up on his face and he found himself flying after her, over the Cove's rock wall and into the forest, where he perched in a tree and silently watched.

At this point, Flynn slowly walked up to Rapunzel, tired of her constant mood changes. "Hmm-mm-m." He cleared his throat and bent down beside Rapunzel. "I can't help but notice you seem a little at war with yourself here."

Rapunzel's hands uncovered her face and she looked at him and sniffed. "What?"

"Now, I'm only picking up bits and pieces, of course. Overprotective mother, forbidden road trip. I mean, this is serious stuff. But let me ease your conscience. This is part of growing up. A little rebellion, a little adventure, that's good; healthy even!" He stood back up. Pascal climbed onto Flynn's shoulder and he brushed Pascal off with his hand.

Rapunzel lightly smiled at him, feeling cheered up. "You think?"

"I know. You're way over-thinking this, trust me. Does your mother deserve it? No." Rapunzel frowned. He continued. "Would this break her heart and crush her soul? Of course. But you just got to do it."

"Yeah, but you haven't met her mother…" Jack mumbled from the tree above. Rapunzel glanced up and saw him chilling in the tree and a corner of her mouth pulled up, relieved that he hadn't left; but she dismissed his comment and turned her attention back to Flynn.

"'Break her heart'?" She asked.

Flynn picked a berry off of a plant nearby. "In half." He responded.

"'Crush her soul'?" Rapunzel pulled on a piece of her hair nervously.

"Like a grape." He squeezed the berry in his hand, crushing it.

Jack rolled his eyes. "This guy's full of it."

Flynn walked over and pulled Rapunzel to her feet. "She would be heartbroken, you're right." She spoke.

"I am, aren't I? Oh bother." Flynn spoke dramatically. "Alright, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm letting you out of the deal." He walked past Rapunzel.

"What?" Rapunzel straightened.

Jack glanced down. "What an idiot." He muttered.

"That's right. But don't thank me. Let's just turn around and get you home." He grabbed Pascal from the rock he sat on. "Here's your pan, here's your frog. I get my satchel, you get back a mother-daughter relationship based on mutual trust and voila! We part ways as unlikely friends." He began walking Rapunzel back to the tower. Jack leapt down from the tree he sat in.

Rapunzel halted in place, Pascal on her shoulder, and shoved him a foot away; stopping him. "No! I am seeing those lanterns!"

Flynn made an awkward, angry movement with his hands. "Oh come on! What is it going to take to get my satchel back?"

"I will use this." Rapunzel spoke, abruptly shoving the frying pan into his face. He flinched back. All of the sudden a rustling came from a bush behind them and they turned around. Jack leaned forward and tried to get a better look at what it was; while in the meantime, Rapunzel jumped onto Flynn's back freaking out. "Is it ruffians? Thugs? Have they come for me?" She spoke, terrified. Jack realized what it was just as it hoped out of the bush. Jack laughed as he stared down at the small brown rabbit on the grass.

"Stay calm, it can probably smell fear." Flynn replied. Rapunzel realized what it was and jumped off of Flynn's back.

"Oh, huh, sorry. Guess I'm just a little bit… Jumpy." Rapunzel responded.

Flynn straightened his blue vest. "Probably be best if we avoid ruffians and thugs, though." He replied.

"Uh-huh, yeah, that'd probably be best." Rapunzel gripped her frying pan.

"As if we couldn't handle them…" Jack spoke. Rapunzel looked at him. He raised his staff in the air, but placed it back on the ground. Ice crystals shot out across the grass and Flynn jumped back, startled. "Oops." Jack made an apologetic face.

"What was that?" Flynn asked, looking around. "Is that… ice? It's spring time!"

"You don't believe in Jack Frost, do you?" Rapunzel asked Flynn, looking at Jack.

"No, why would I?" He spoke. Jack rolled his eyes. Rapunzel gave Flynn a curious look.

"Well, because," Rapunzel walked over to Jack's side. "He's here, right now." She responded.

Flynn looked at her like she was insane. "Sure he is." Jack muttered to himself about Flynn's response, stepping forward and freezing a tree with the end of his staff. Ice crystals abruptly formed and raced up the length of the tree, filling the soft bark and freezing the green summer leaves. Within a minute, the entire tree was encased in a thick layer of blue-ish ice. Flynn's eyes widened dramatically and he took a step back from the tree, startled. "It can't be." He spoke under his breath, in awe. For years Flynn hadn't believed in the spirit Jack Frost, so he couldn't possibly exist, he had never seen him and the snow never came around here; but what else could explain a random tree freezing in the middle of spring. In the corner of his eye, Flynn watched as a new figure appeared. His head jerked in that direction and he saw the stranger for the first time; taking in the white hair, the ice blue eyes, pale skin, old clothes, bare feet, and the staff. His eye's locked with Jack's and he stumbled back in shock.

"So you believe in me now, Flynn Rider?" Jack spoke, breaking the sudden silence.

Flynn began to stutter. "I...I, I… guess." Rapunzel grinned and lightly pushed Jack in a teasing manor, causing him to catch himself.

"Hey!" He caught himself, light on his feet. Rapunzel beamed at him and a smile fought its way on to his face.

"And I always thought you had to see to believe." Flynn muttered to himself.

Jack sniggered. "Ha, no… Believing is seeing."

"Oh…" Flynn scratched the back of his head.

In the evening sky, the blazing sun steadily set behind the massive clouds to the west and darkness began to descend on them. The leaves on the trees around them trembled in the small wind that flowed through the forest and the hoot of an owl could be heard every few minutes. Rapunzel began to glance around herself, fearing the darkening forest. "We should probably set up camp; otherwise, it's going to be a long night." Flynn spoke as the forest grew dark, the trees suddenly growing taller and scarier. Any sound could spook them.

Jack sighed. "Alright." He responded, even though he wanted to continue walking. Jack still didn't trust Flynn, especially around Rapunzel. Jack knew he was a thief and couldn't count on anything he said. What changed his mind was Rapunzel's constant looking around, flinching at every sound. Her uneasiness was getting to him and he knew they had to stop, before she went running back to her tower. "You can get firewood." He spoke.

Flynn gave him a look before wandering off into the forest to search for firewood and kindling. Rapunzel watched as Jack searched for a nice place to sleep at. After a minute, he found a couple of trees that sat close to each other, their branches drooping to the ground in an almost curtain like way. "You don't trust him, do you?" Jack glanced over his shoulder at Rapunzel. He turned around to face her.

"Punzie, I've barely even known him a day; I can't trust him." Jack responded.

"I trusted you after I had just met you." She spoke shyly, walking over to one of the trees and scooting down the length of the trunk to the ground. She began to pull her hair in, wrapping herself in the long blonde hair. Jack sighed, giving up on their bickering.

"Hey, where'd you guys go?" Flynn's voice called.

Rapunzel glanced up. "Over here, Flynn." She called, pulling in the last few feet of her hair. Jack grumbled to himself.

"Oh, there you guys are!" He stumbled in to the trees. "I couldn't find you guys; I thought you had taken off."

"No, we didn't; Jack just found a nice little area for camp." Rapunzel replied.

Flynn nodded. "Nice choice." He complemented.

"Thanks." Jack spoke, leaning his staff against the tree he now sat against. Flynn began setting firewood up, placing the kindling inside, on top of and around the wood. He quickly worked wood together to form a small flame and started the fire, spreading it to the other kindling and wood. The fire began to flicker and grew bigger, radiating heat. Jack shifted uncomfortably, not used to so much heat; not that he ever really cared for anything heat or fire related. Rapunzel watched the flames for a while, the flames reflecting in her green eyes. After a while, the fire began to die down, casting darker shadows on their faces. Eventually, Flynn and Rapunzel settled down against a tree and a rock and fell asleep. However, Jack was not so easily taken by sleep; he had had enough of it the past couple of days, he could go for weeks without needing another minute of sleep. He constantly reviewed the day in his head, trying to figure out what had happened between him and Rapunzel, and why she had forced Flynn to take her; even when Jack had promised to take her in the first place. Did she no longer feel the same about him as she had when she first met him?

He sighed in irritation. _Jack. _The moon spoke, distracting him from his thoughts. _It's time to find the others. Go back to Berk and get Hiccup. _Manny ordered. Jack closed his eyes for a moment. Maybe it would be good to get away for a few hours.

"Alright." He whispered. He stood up and grabbed his wooden staff. He unhooked one of the snow globes from the ice belt around his chest and he gripped it in his hand, glancing at Flynn, making sure he was out cold; then at Rapunzel, watching her soft, sleepy face. He had to go. He shook his head and walked out of their small tree camp and into the forest, surround by dark trees and endless night. "Berk." He whispered, shaking the snow globe in his hand before tossing it into the middle of the forest. A large green portal opened in front of him and Jack flew straight into it, not bothering to look back behind him.


	8. Chapter 7: Ruffians Runaways and Dragons

Chapter 7: Ruffians, Runaways and Dragons

Jack was practically thrown out of the vortex and tumbled to the ground, easily doing a couple of somersaults before painfully crashing into a thick pine tree; his legs pinned against the trunk while his body lay on the ground. Jack groaned and shook his head, as if to shake off the pain. "Again?!" One of these days he is going throw out something in his back. He glanced up in time to see the golden vortex close behind him and turn back into a snow globe, landing on the ground's thick grass. He slowly shifted his now sore body and pushed himself off of the ground. He wearily brought himself to his feet. "Ugh." He groaned as he searched for his staff. After a minute, he found it about ten feet away lying on the ground. He walked over to it and picked it up.

He sighed. "Alright, time to find Hiccup." On Berk, it was night time as well; however, it was probably a few hours behind compared to Corona due to different time zones. The sun must have just set here. Jack tried to consider where Hiccup might be this time of day. He shrugged, since he's in the forest, he might as well try the cove first. He picked up the snow globe from the forest floor and hooked it back on to the ice belt on his chest before gripping his staff and flying through the tree line, up into the sky. First he had to figure out where he was in the forest in order to find the cove. As far as he could tell, he would need to head northwest to find it. He began flying in that direction and found it within a heartbeat, after all, it would be pretty hard not to find a giant whole in the ground. He was closer than he had thought. He landed on the ground in the forest just outside of the cove and walked the rest of the way. He quickly found a small entrance in the rock wall that hid the cove from sight and walked through a small tunnel. "Hiccup?!" He called as he exited the tunnel.

The cove was much more beautiful than Jack remembered it being; then again he hadn't stayed there very long last time and hadn't taken in every detail of the large cove, it was also night time now, too. The cove was surrounded by grey rock covered in luscious ferns that formed a bowl-like sensation. The sea-green lake was now clearer and Jack could see to the bottom, making out a massive tree that had fallen, perhaps years ago, and several fish that swam around in it. The lake was much larger than it was last time, probably because of all the rain they had been having lately; Jack could tell by the soaked bark in the forest. The ground was extremely wet and muddy and Jack disliked the feeling of the mud on his bare feet. There still weren't as many ferns on the cove's ground, but they continued to spot the mud along with grass and several short pine trees, their droopy branches reaching the ground and supporting many birds' nests.

"Hiccup?" Jack called again. His eyes scanned the dark cove for any signs of the boy and just when he thought Hiccup wasn't there, he saw the black mass that sat not too far from where Jack stood. Jack flew down to the muddy ground and quietly approached the black creature. "Hey Toothless." He spoke. Toothless's ears moved and his head abruptly shot up, looking in Jack's direction. His softball sized eyes opened, his black pupils narrow slits. They automatically squared out until he looked downright adorable. His mouth opened and his teeth retracted, showing only gums; the corners of his open mouth pulled up to make him look like he was smiling. Jack laughed as Toothless approached him happily. Toothless sat down and glanced down at him, folding his bat-like wings. Jack rubbed Toothless lightly on the nose. Toothless's tongue fell out of his open mouth and he licked Jack on the cheek. "Agh!" The entire right side of his face was covered in dragon spit.

Jack then noticed Hiccup lying on the grass, his right arm leisurely rested beneath his head, the other arm across his stomach. He wore the same clothes as the day Jack met him, the loose green shirt, fur vest, dark green pants, and brown fur boots. His auburn brown hair was darker in the moonlight, which made his skin paler than it already was and brought out the millions of freckles that covered his pale face and hands. Jack noticed that his chest was moving up and down in dramatic breathes and he realized that Hiccup was laughing at him. "You know that doesn't wash out, right?" He spoke between laughs.

"Eh, I never really liked these clothes anyway." Jack replied, noting the massive slobber spot on his right shoulder.

Hiccup laughed a little bit more before propping himself up with his elbows. "Well, welcome back, Jack."

"Thank you, Hiccup; it's great to be back, with the exception of the pulled muscle in my back that I received upon my arrival." Jack walked over to Hiccup and sat down beside him, placing his staff on the ground next to him. "So, how'd it go with Snotlout?" He asked, curious to hear the story.

A smug smile formed on Hiccup's face. "Well, for one thing, he was cold! Just after you had left, I went back to the village and sure thing, half the tribe was standing outside of Snotlout's house, trying to dig him out. It took them about thirty minutes, breaking through all the ice and stuff. I think he was so happy to get out of the frozen house that he was about to faint." He explained. "However, Astrid figured it out, and, well, she was pissed." He added.

Jack sniggered. "I bet she was."

"Yeah, well, anyway; Snotlout doesn't pick on me so much anymore. Just more like snide comments." Hiccup replied, sitting up.

"We can always do more." Jack responded.

"Nah, I'm done for a while; it's still been a rough week." He smirked.

Jack sighed. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Nah." He shook his head. "I just need a break; not even getting out here in the middle of nowhere is helping, and that's to say something, 'cause it normally does help."

The corners of Jack's lips pulled up. "And this is where I come in." He spoke.

Hiccup looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, do you remember what I told you about the moon and my quest?" Jack asked.

Hiccup thought for a moment. "The one about the princess?" He asked.

"Yeah, that one." Jack responded. "Well, I found one of the others, the dreamer, and I have to take her to Corona during the missing princess' birthday festival this week. The thing is her birthday is also this week and she wants to see the festival. But here's the catch: Her mother has never let her leave the tower she lives in. So I promised her I would take her-"

"Never left her tower?" Hiccup interrupted. "Sounds like her mother has issues."

"I think so, too; but the thing is I've run into a little problem." Jack replied.

"What kind of problem?" Hiccup's thick eyebrows pulled together.

"Another guy, a thief, stumbled upon her tower and she took something that he stole and put it on ransom until he takes her to Corona; but I already promised to take her. I can't really trust this guy." Jack replied.

Hiccup thought hard. "What are you going to do about it?"

Jack sighed. "I don't know. As a Guardian, I have to continue to watch over her; but I don't know how this all fits into finding the missing princess of Corona."

"The moon said that the other two you were searching for were girls, right?" Hiccup looked at him. "Maybe one of them is the princess. Just think about it. Have you found the other girl?"

"No, I haven't. Manny said that one of them would find me, I believe it's the 'runaway with a struggle'." He spoke.

"I have no idea." Hiccup sighed, unsure. "I would need more information to figure everything out."

"Well, if you come with me; we could figure it out, but I don't have a lot of time to stay here." Jack replied.

"Go where? Corona?" Hiccup asked. Jack nodded. "For how long?"

Jack sighed again. "I have no idea. It could be a couple days or a couple months… I have to get Rapunzel to Corona for the festival, and that is on Tuesday night, but I still have to find the missing princess and find the runaway. And then who knows what else we may have to do."

Hiccup thought hard for a few minutes. "Well, I suppose no one would miss me, if I happened to be gone for months; well, maybe except for my dad… It may hit him hard. We lost my mom when I was just a baby, so im not sure how he would react to me randomly disappearing." He wondered out loud.

"If you really want to, we can fly back to the village and leave your dad a note." Jack told him, knowing how he felt. His parents' had to deal with the same thing; except that Jack would never return to his family.

Hiccup nodded. "In that case, I will go with you; but let's go to the village first."

Jack stood up and gave Hiccup a hand, helping him up. While Jack grabbed his staff from off the ground, Hiccup prepared Toothless for flight and hopped on to his back. "Lead the way, Hiccup." Jack spoke. Hiccup nodded.

"C'mon bud." Hiccup spoke. Toothless sunk to the ground, unfolded his wings and pushed off the grass, launching up into the air. Jack took off after them, quickly catching up with the pair. Minutes passed as they soared through the darkening night sky, diving in and out of clouds and after a while, Toothless quickly began to descend, Jack automatically following. The village of Berk came into view and Toothless turned in the direction of Hiccup's house. Another minute passed and they landed beside the boat-like house. "Stay here, Bud; I'll be back." Hiccup patted Toothless' nose. The black dragon quietly sat and waited patiently. Jack and Hiccup silently walked through the massive front door and snuck up to the table in the front room. Hiccup quickly grabbed a charcoal pencil and began writing on a blank piece of paper. Jack quickly began to recognize the ancient-lettered words he wrote, he had been studying Viking languages while he was in Corona at Rapunzel's tower. Jack also noticed that Hiccup was left handed.

'Dad,

I won't be on Berk when you wake up; I'm leaving for a while to help a new friend of mine in a land far away. Please don't search for me, I may be gone between a few days to a few months, either way, I will return as soon as possible. I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly.

~Hiccup'

Hiccup folded the paper in half and wrote 'Dad' on the front. He turned to Jack. "Alright, I'm ready." He nodded. Jack nodded silently back and they snuck out of the house and back outside. A cool breeze blew in their faces and Hiccup breathed in heavily, taking in the last few breaths of Berk's fresh air for a while; nervous about leaving. Hiccup patted Toothless' nose again. "So, how do we get there?"

"Using one of these." Jack unhooked a snow globe from the ice belt on his chest. "We have to travel forward into time from here. We are in what my time calls the Middle Ages, and then there was the Renaissance to the Time of Exploration, where we are going to." He explained to Hiccup.

Hiccup nodded nervously. "Okay."

"I highly suggest you have Toothless keep his wings folded for the next couple of minutes, if he doesn't fold them, he may break them." Jack informed him. Hiccup patted Toothless' wings and they folded against his slim black body. "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." He breathed.

"Corona's forest, 1782." Jack spoke and shook the globe before tossing it into the air. The globe bounced against the ground and a golden, spiraling portal opened in front of them. Jack walked up to it, followed by Hiccup and Toothless. "Let's go." He stepped in.

Hiccup breathed in deeply. "Alright, bud, say good-bye to Berk. It may be a while before we come back." Toothless looked around for a minute, and then looked back at Hiccup, an adorable look on his face. Hiccup lightly pulled on Toothless's collar and they walked into the portal.

Jack tumbled out of the portal once again, this time landing on his back in the soft grass. "I swear those portals hate me." He mumbled as he got to his feet. He quickly moved out of the way so Hiccup and Toothless wouldn't crush him. After a minute, Toothless came rolling out, easily making five somersaults before landing on his back. Jack looked around for Hiccup. Where was he? The portal closed behind Toothless and a snow globe appeared on the ground. Jack then noticed that Toothless' wings were folded around his body, rather than on his back. As Jack approached Toothless, he opened his large bat-like wings and Hiccup slowly stood up.

"Thanks bud." Hiccup shook his head as Toothless rolled over and back onto his feet, shaking the grass off of his wings. "I see what you meant about keeping Toothless' wings folded. Those portals are rough."

Jack sniggered. "I've had way too many experiences with portals, and almost every time I land on my back. Though, I don't think the portals to Berk like me, I always crash into a tree"

Hiccup snickered. "Now that is funny." After a minute, he looked around him, taking in the different trees and the grass. "Wow, this place is so different from Berk!" He commented, touching one of the soft barked trees.

"A nice change, huh?" Jack replied. Hiccup nodded. "It's even nice for me; I'm used to massive buildings and very little trees. A nice escape from the city." There was a silence for a moment. "So, Hiccup, to tell you about Rapunzel, I don't want to shock you, but she has really really long hair, so I wouldn't stare. She also likes to sing, a lot."

Hiccup quirked an eyebrow. "Okay." A noise caught his attention and he looked over his shoulder. Toothless had discovered all of the grass on the forest floor and began to roll in it, his eyes were rounded and his tongue stuck out with glee as the grass filled his nose and rubbed against his scaled skin. Hiccup snickered. "You are still a sucker for grass, aren't you?" Jack glanced back and saw Toothless. He sniggered. Toothless cooed in response.

"Well," Jack continued to laugh at Toothless. "Now I just have to remember where I left Rapunzel and Flynn." He began looking around the trees for the small camp. After a minute, he found the tree he had frozen earlier that day. "Oh, I know where we are now, follow me." He began walking.

"C'mon Toothless." Hiccup called. Toothless sat up, one of his ears up in a dog-like manor. Hiccup began walking after Jack and Toothless made a sound like he was grumbling, but stood up and began following Hiccup. They had walked for a while and Hiccup began to feel tired, he still hadn't slept today. "Hey, Jack, are we almost there?" He called.

"Yeah." Jack responded, coming up on the small camp. "We're here." He stopped. Hiccup and Toothless caught up and Hiccup noticed Rapunzel sleeping against one of the trees.

"Yeesh, you said her hair was long, but not that long!" Hiccup spoke.

Jack rolled his eyes. "You get some sleep; I'll introduce you guys in the morning." Hiccup nodded tiredly. Toothless slowly lumbered over to a tree nearby and lay down, wrapping his tail around himself. Hiccup sat next to Toothless, leaning against the soft bark of the tree's trunk. Toothless quickly fell asleep and a deep rumble echoed off of his sleeping body, as if he were purring. Hiccup placed his right arm around Toothless' neck and the sleeping creature moved its head closer to Hiccup's side, nestling up to his right leg. Hiccup rested his head against the soft tree and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. Jack watched this small exchange of movement and he knew that Toothless was very important to Hiccup. A small grin formed on his face.

Several hours later, Jack watched the sun rise to the east and light up the night sky. Through the canopy formed by the trees, Jack watched the stars fade from the brightening sky and listened to the early birds chirping in the soft barked trees. Their little songs cheered him up after the long night, especially since he couldn't sleep. Jack watched as Toothless' ears pricked at every other bird tweet, waking him up. Toothless grumbled, still tired. However, as the minutes passed, more birds awoke and began to sing and Toothless gave up trying to go back to sleep. His eyes tiredly opened and his round pupils glanced around for a minute, seeing if anyone was up. He tiredly noticed Jack watching him and the corners of his scaled lips pulled up in a slight grin. Toothless lightly lowered his head and ducked underneath Hiccup's right arm, which lightly fell to the ground. He quietly stood to his feet and stretched; his head close to the ground while his rear stayed in the air, reminding Jack of a cat. His tongue stuck out a little and his bat-like wings unfolded, taking up a massive stretch of area. His wingspan must have been forty-six or forty-eight feet. After a minute of stretching, Toothless folded his wings and stood up straight. He silently lumbered over to Jack, his tail dragging along the ground.

"Good morning, Toothless." Jack spoke, breaking the morning silence. Toothless made a quiet noise and lay down in front of him, his front legs crossed. A deep grumble came from his massive chest and he grinned his gummy, toothless smile. Jack laughed and patted him on the nose. "How did you sleep?" He muttered to the dragon. Toothless grumbled a little in response. Jack sniggered. "If you say so." Toothless rested his head on top of his forelegs and his tail curled around his body. Jack glanced at the prosthetic fin on the end of his tail, admiring Hiccup and Gobber's handwork.

After a minute, a deep sigh caught the pairs' attention and they both glanced into the tree-line camp. Toothless's head shot up in curiosity, tilted at an angle. His ears pricked up, but his eyes remained squared. He slowly got up to his feet and lumbered past Jack and poked his head into the small camp. His head tilted to the side even further and he glanced down at Rapunzel, sitting on his hind legs. A soft sound escaped his scaled lips and his nose twitched as he took a whiff of her long blonde hair. "Toothless," Jack muttered. "Don't wake her." Toothless glanced back at Jack and gave him his gummy smile and then glanced back to find Flynn. One of his eyes became dramatically smaller as he took in the other stranger. His nose wrinkled, his eyes became narrow slits and his ears folded against his neck. A slight grumble echoed from the beast and he lightly bared his teeth at the sleeping thief. Jack sniggered. "You don't like him either, huh?"

Toothless made a sound that somewhat reminded Jack of a tiger, 'Harrumph' his chest moved up and then fell back into place. Toothless turned his attention back to Rapunzel and nodded in approval before backing out of the cramped space and lay beside Jack again. But just before he got comfortable, Toothless stood back up and lumbered back over to Hiccup, who still slept against a tree not too far away. Jack laughed under his breath and glanced back at Rapunzel. She probably wouldn't freak out about seeing Toothless; however, Flynn would be another story. The sun began to rise further into the sky and finally Jack decided to start waking everyone up. Hiccup had barely had any sleep so Jack decided to wake him up last. He walked over to Rapunzel and lightly shook her shoulder. "Hey, Punzie, wake up." He spoke quietly. She sighed deeply and cracked open her deep green eyes.

"What time is it?" She muttered, rubbing one of her green eyes.

Jack glanced up at the sky. "Probably almost nine." He replied after a moment.

"Whoa, its late." She muttered and freed herself from her long hair. Jack stepped back as she slowly stood to her feet.

"Sorry about that." Jack responded. "So, um, Punzie, I have a couple of friends I want you to meet." He added.

"Friends?" She asked, confused. How long had these 'friends' been here?

Jack shrugged. "Um, do you believe in mythical creatures?"

Rapunzel quirked an eyebrow. "Technically you're mythical; but sure, I guess." She shrugged back, still confused.

Jack dismissed the part about him and glanced over his shoulder at Toothless. "Come here bud." He called. Toothless's head shot up and he lurched to his feet. Rapunzel stepped closer to Jack and glanced around the tree that blocked Toothless from view. Toothless scampered up to Jack's side and sat on his hind legs, a light smile on his face. Rapunzel gasped. His black wings slightly unfolded and he glanced down at her.

"Jack, is that-?" She glanced up at the dark creature, startled.

"A dragon? Yes." Jack stepped closer to Toothless and patted his nose. "Punzie, I'd like you to meet toothless. Toothless, this is Rapunzel." Toothless lowered his head to her height and grinned at her, his slit tongue flopping out on the left side. A smile crossed Rapunzel's face and she stepped closer to the dragon, cautiously holding out her hand, palm facing him. His pupils widened more and he quietly leaned into her hand, nose first and eyes closed.

"Aww, he's so sweet." She stepped closer. Toothless cooed and his teeth retracted into his gums. "Whoa, retractable teeth!" He slowly lay on the ground, his forelegs crossed. Rapunzel knelt down beside the beast and continued to pet it. Toothless grinned and another 'harrumph' escaped his scaled lips. Rapunzel giggled.

"Agh, now to wake up Flynn." Jack grumbled.

Rapunzel glanced up at Jack. "Let me take care of that." She let go of Toothless's face and yanked on a large section of her hair, twirled it in her hand for a second and whacked Flynn right in the neck with it. She winced, meaning to hit his shoulder. Flynn flinched, startled. He sat up and looked around, dazed. He noticed Jack and Rapunzel standing in the tree, before noticing the massive black creature behind them.

"What the- Aah!" Flynn jumped to his feet and hid behind a tree. Jack glanced down at Rapunzel, who shrugged back; then back at Toothless and sniggered. Rapunzel lightly giggled and continued to pet Toothless. In his peripheral vision, Jack saw Hiccup jump at the sound of Flynn's shriek, aroused from his deep sleep. Hiccup took in a deep breath and cracked open his green eyes, blinking back the bright sunlight. As his eyes adjusted, Hiccup realized that Toothless was not sleeping beside him and his eyes opened completely, searching for his dragon.

Hiccup saw Toothless just as Jack spoke to Flynn, who still hid behind the tree. "Hey, Flynn, meet Toothless!"

"Why aren't you guys hiding or running?!" Flynn called from behind the soft-barked tree.

"Oh, he's nothing but a sweetheart!" Rapunzel spoke and patted Toothless on the head. Toothless harrumphed again and leaned his big head against Rapunzel's shoulder. "Oof!" She lightly scratched the side of his scaled face and part of his neck until she accidentally hit the spot underneath his chin and he collapsed on to the ground and on top of her hair. "Ouch." She flinched underneath the sudden tug on her hair. "What did I do?" Flynn peaked around the tree at the scene before him.

Hiccup steadily stood up from the tree he sat against and spoke. "You hit his tender spot." Rapunzel glanced back behind her, straining under the weight of her hair and Toothless' body weight. She tugged unsuccessfully on her hair.

"Punzie, stop; you'll just break your hair." Jack informed her. She grumbled and lightly crossed her arms, bent over in an awkward position due to her hair.

"I've got it." Hiccup walked over, his metal leg clicking against the rocks it stepped on. Rapunzel heard the sound and glanced down at his leg, shock crossing her face. Hiccup didn't notice.

"Hey, bud, get up." He nudged Toothless, grabbing a round metal object from the pocket underneath his fur vest. Toothless's greenish eyes cracked open just as Hiccup found a beam of light and began to make a reflection move across the forest floor. Toothless' eyes automatically rounded and he scrambled to his feet to chase it, releasing Rapunzel's hair. She sighed and stood up straight. Jack sniggered as he watched the large beast chase the reflection. After a minute, Hiccup placed the metal object back in the pocket.

"Phew, thanks!" Rapunzel turned to Hiccup.

Hiccup laughed. "No problem. Hi, I'm Hiccup, Toothless' rider." He introduced himself.

"Oh, I'm Rapunzel, but if you want, you can call me Punzie." Rapunzel grinned, lightly pulling on a section of her long blonde hair.

"Nice to meet you, Rapunzel." The corner of Hiccup's lips pulled up as he took in her green eyes, heart-shaped face and super long blonde hair. Rapunzel nodded in response as Flynn walked out from behind the tree and into view.

Jack rolled his eyes. "And this is Flynn." Flynn nodded at Hiccup before looking back at Toothless, unsure. "Now that we've all met each other-" Jack was cut off by Pascal's squeak.

"There you are Pascal!" Rapunzel picked up Pascal from the ground and pet the chameleon on the head. Jack smirked. Toothless lumbered over and sat beside Hiccup, peering down at the small reptilian. A coo escaped his scaled lips and he pupils narrowed as Pascal shifted from bright green to panicked blue. Toothless' head cocked to the side and his ears pricked forward with curiously. His pupils shifted back to their normal size. Jack grumbled.

After an awkward moment of silence, Flynn spoke. "Wait, what time is it?" Jack glanced at Flynn before he and Hiccup peered up at the sky, checking the position of the sun.

"I'd say it's probably about ten or eleven." Hiccup responded. "It's pretty late." He added after a thoughtful moment. Rapunzel nodded.

Something in the forest made a noise and Toothless' head shot up and he lurched back to his feet, standing straight up on his hind legs, towering over them all. After a minute, he slowly lowered back to the ground and made a sound like he was grumbling to himself.

"Probably just another Rabbit…" Jack muttered thinking of yesterday with the rabbit in the bush.

Rapunzel blushed at the thought of that awkward moment. She frowned as Flynn suddenly spoke. "We should probably avoid ruffians and thugs, though." Jack glared up at him. Hiccup lightly frowned.

"Uh-huh, yeah, that'd probably be best." Rapunzel responded as she picked up her frying pan from the forest floor. Hiccup quirked an eyebrow at the frying pan and glanced at Jack. His response was a 'I'll tell you later' look. Hiccup shrugged.

After a moment, Flynn spoke again. "Say, are you guys hungry? I know a great place for lunch!"

"I don't have to eat." Jack muttered in response. Hiccup just shrugged.

"Oh. Where?" Rapunzel glanced around the forest, there couldn't possibly be a place out here, could there?

"Oh don't you worry! You'll know it when you smell it." Flynn began walking in the direction of wherever this place was. Rapunzel slowly followed. Hiccup whistled and Toothless looked over at him.

"C'mon bud." He spoke and began walking, his metal leg clicking against rocks on the ground. Jack was kind of relieved that no one had made comments about Hiccup's leg; it's got to be frustrating to have people constantly stare at it. Jack gripped his staff and walked after them, following alongside toothless as he lumbered behind everybody.

After a while of walking, Jack began to grow frustrated. "Do you even know where this place is? We don't exactly have a lot of time to spare." Jack abruptly spoke, breaking the silence between everyone. Flynn stopped and they all glanced back at Jack, before turning to face Flynn.

"I know it's around here, somewhere." Flynn spoke and stepped around a tree, seeing if he could see it yet. Jack grumbled under his breath. A light smile made its way across his face as he saw the road. "I know where we are now, follow me!" He began walking again. Jack scowled. Rapunzel followed Flynn, her hair trailing behind her. Toothless sat and watched her hair for a moment, intrigued.

Hiccup glanced over at Jack. "I think I agree with you on this one, I'm not sure I can trust this guy."

Jack sniggered. "Neither can Toothless. You should've seen him this morning."

Hiccup quirked an eyebrow. "What'd he do?"

"Oh, just growled at him while he was sleeping…" Jack muttered, catching up with Hiccup. They continued to walk behind Rapunzel and Flynn, followed by Toothless.

"Oh." Hiccup replied.

"Ah, there it is; The Snuggly Duckling." Flynn stopped and waited for Rapunzel to catch up to him. "Don't worry, very quaint place, perfect for you. Don't want you scaring and giving up on this whole endeavor now do we…"

As they walked down the dirt path road, they came upon a building in the middle of the forest. The large place was built beside a massive soft-barked tree. It was strangely built building; it sunk into the ground, had lots of small windows and a discolored roof. There was short blue door and horses were tied to a post in the front.

Jack was normally the one to question things in general, so when Hiccup stole the words out of his mouth, Jack was pretty shocked. "What kind of a place is called the Snuggly Duckling?"

Flynn glanced back at them as Rapunzel responded to his previous comment. "Well, I do like ducklings."

"Yay!" Flynn made an extremely awkward face at her in reply before walking over to the building. Hiccup and Jack glanced at each other. They almost seemed to know what the other was thinking at this point. Hiccup made a face that made one of his eyes smaller than the other and widened his eyes in irritation. Toothless continued to lumber on down the dirt road before Hiccup quickly walked after him and stopped him.

"I think I'll just stay out here with Toothless, I don't think a dragon would be very good to bring into some kind of restaurant." He spoke when Jack quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, okay." Jack took a step towards the Snuggly Duckling before he stopped and turned back to face Hiccup. "Do you want me to get you anything?" He asked.

"Um, no. I'm good; I really don't eat a whole lot, besides I have to get Toothless something, so we'll probably have to stop by a river so he can get some fish. I'll just eat something then." Hiccup replied, patting Toothless on the head. Toothless harrumphed in response.

'"You…sure?" Jack asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Go ahead."

Jack started walking up to the building right as Flynn burst through the blue wooden door. "Garcon, your finest table please!" At his side, Rapunzel gasped, taking in the horrid scene before her. This place was definitely not what she expected and not in a good way. Just by standing in the door way, Rapunzel saw massive men that were much taller than even Flynn. Every single one of them was scary in appearance, most had lots of facial hair and loose clothing. Many of them wore leather belts, swords sheathed on their hips; a few didn't have shirts, most had Viking-like helmets and the few that didn't have facial hair actually had hair on the top of their head. Some had hooks, wooden teeth and rats scuttled along the floor. The inside of the Snuggly Duckling was a dark and poorly lit and reeked of body odor. Rapunzel yanked her frying pan up, tempting to protect herself from the ruffians and thugs that suddenly surrounded her. "You smell that? Take a deep breath through the nose." Flynn sniffed and began pulling Rapunzel inside. "Really let that seep in. what are you getting? Because to me, that's part man-smell, and the other part is really bad-man smell. I don't know why, but overall" Pascal hid in Rapunzel's hair. "It just smells like the color brown. Your thoughts?"

There was a sudden tug on Rapunzel's hair and she gasped, pulling on her hair and running backwards. "That's a lot of hair." A thug spoke, breaking the strange silence in the Snuggly Duckling. Flynn stepped to the side and placed his hands on his hips.

"She's growing it out." Flynn bent over and peered down at the thug, taking in his loose, bare t-shirt, partial beard, side burns and the helmet that covered most of his face. "Is that blood in your mustache? Goldie, look at this. Look at all the blood in his moustache! That sir, that's a lot of blood." Jack walked in just then, taking in the horrendous view. His eyes followed the length of Rapunzel's hair and he watched as she stumbled backwards and backed up into another thug and quickly stepped away. Flynn walked up to her, a thoughtful look on his face. Jack gripped his staff and quickly walked in, finding a way to get through all the ruffians; though he disappeared through every single one of them. "Hey, you don't look so good, Blondie. Maybe we should get you home. Call it a day." He began pulling her back towards the door. "Probably better off. This is a five star joint after all, and if you can't handle this place, well, maybe you should be back in your tower." Jack grumbled under his breath and began walking back to the door. Suddenly the door closed in front of them and Flynn and Rapunzel gasped, startled. Jack froze in place. In front of them, a massive man stood, forcing the door shut. He wore a brown shirt and fur cape. A large black leather belt crossed his torso. This man had an angled jaw, prominent cheek bones, thin lips, a large nose, a lot of chin hair and long side burns. The upper half of his head was covered by a helmet with bulls horns attached to it.

"Is this you?" He spoke in a deep voice, referring to the wanted sign beneath his hand. Flynn glanced at the poster and moved one of the man's fingers.

"Agh. Now they're just being mean." He spoke upon the exaggerated size of his nose on the poster.

A bald man with a hook walked up to them. Jack stepped forward, tightly gripping his staff, prepared to do something crazy. "Ho, ho, it's him alright. Greno," he called another man. "Go find some guards! That reward's going to buy me a new hook." He spoke. Flynn stood in front of Rapunzel, his arms braced in a protective formation. Jack's head cocked to the side, noticing the sudden change in Flynn's body language. The man with the hook grabbed Flynn by the vest.

That's when another man stepped up, his head encased in a helmet; and grabbed Flynn from the hook man. "I could use the money."

The same man who closed the door on them tore Flynn from the helmet man's arms. "What about me, I'm broke." A sudden clamor broke out as more ruffians tried to get their hands on Flynn, wanting the reward for him for themselves.

Rapunzel tried to break through the crowd to help Flynn but had no luck getting through. Jack sat back and happily watched, fascinated with the way Flynn was thrown around. Eventually, Flynn found himself in a position where all of his limbs had been lifted off the ground and he was held up, unable to move. "Not the nose, not the nose, not the nose!" He called out as the man with the hook pulled back his good arm, fist clenched. Rapunzel made her move. She grabbed her hair and tossed it up onto a beam, where it wrapped around a loose branch. She yanked on the hair until it was taught and released the branch, which hit the bald man with a hook right on the head; stopping him from punching Flynn right in the face. A sudden silence broke out and everyone turned to face Rapunzel, their mouths dropped and faces frozen in shock. Jack gripped his staff again and he scrambled over to her side.

"Put him down! Okay, I don't know where I am, and I need him to take me to see the lanterns because I've been dreaming about them my entire life! Find your humanity! Haven't any of you ever had a dream?" She spoke, breaking the silence. Jack loosened his grip on his staff; until the man with the hook approached them threateningly, an axe in his hand. While he approached, the man that closed the door hung Flynn on a peg on the wall by his vest. Rapunzel leaned back as far as she could away from the bald man, but he continued to approach them until he was a foot away.

"I had a dream… once." He spoke, dramatically pausing before swinging his axe at the wall nearby, just above a boy chained to the wall. The boy automatically began playing the accordion that sat on his lap. "I'm malicious, mean and scary, my sneer could curdle dairy" He began singing, then stepped back; revealing a white outline of a man. "and violence-wise my hands are not the cleanest. But despite my evil look, and my temper and my hook; I've always yearned to be a concert pianist." Hook climbed up onto a small stage in the middle of the building and began playing on the piano that just happened to be there. Jack quirked an eyebrow as Rapunzel followed. "Can'tcha see me on the stage performin' Mozart? Tickling the ivories 'till they gleam?" He played the keys so hard they flew off of the piano. "Yep, I'd rather be called deadly, for my killer show-tune medley –thank you! 'cause way down deep inside I've got a dream."

The thugs around them began to sing along. "He's got a dream! He's got a dream!" Rapunzel sat down beside Hook.

"See, I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem! Though I do like breaking femurs, you can count me with the dreamers; like everybody else I've got a dream!"

Outside, Hiccup sat on a nearby tree stump, watching toothless; that was until he heard all the commotion going on inside. "Toothless, stay here, bud; I'll be back." He quickly walked over to one of the windows and noticed that it wasn't fighting, like he thought it was; but rather dancing and singing. He quirked a brow and cocked his head to the side in confusion. He quietly slipped through the door and into the Snuggly Duckling unnoticed. "What is going on?" He asked when he reached Jack.

Jack glanced at him. "Rapunzel's got them all singing now…" He raised his eyebrows in shock. "Where's Toothless?"

"He's outside; I heard all the ruckus and had to see what was going on." Hiccup replied, barely heard over the singing going on around them. Hiccup glanced over at the stage just as a man who had been hit by Hook sat up, and began his own solo.

"I've got scares and lumps and bruises, plus something here that oozes." He gestured to one of his arms. Rapunzel turned to face him. "And let's not even mention my complexion, but despite my extra toes and my goiter and my nose, I really wanna make a love connection!" He held up a small daisy and handed it to Rapunzel before standing up and continuing. He now sat in a small row boat that happened to be sitting there and grabbed an oar-like weapon. With him was a small, short man that randomly held up an umbrella; playing along with this man's solo. "Can't you see me with a special little lady, rowing in rowboat down the stream?" He pulled the same small man up on a rope and swung him around the room, a fake Cupid's bow and arrow in the little man's hands. "Though I'm one disgusting blighter, I'm a lover, not a fighter. 'Cause way down deep inside I've got a dream."

"He's got a dream!" The Thugs began to sing along again. Hiccup shifted uncomfortably on to his good leg.

"I've got a dream!"

"He's got a dream!"

Rapunzel continued to walk beside the man as he continued singing. He grabbed a man that reminded Jack of a goat by the shoulders and continued. "And I know one day romance will reign supreme! Though my face leaves people screaming, there's a child behind it dreaming. Like everybody else, I've got a dream." He finished.

Suddenly all the Thugs began singing together. "Thor would like to quit and be a florist. Gunther does interior design. Ulf is into mime, Attila's cupcakes are sublime; Bruiser knits, Killer sews, Fang does little puppet shows."

Hook finished their solo. "And Vladimir collects ceramic unicorns." The massive man that had stopped them from leaving clinked his unicorns together and a smile lit up his face. Jack quirked an eyebrow. Hook and Big, the love sick thug, walked over to where Flynn hung on the wall. "What about you?" Hook asked.

"I'm sorry, me?" Flynn spoke.

'What's your dream?" Big pulled him off the wall.

"No, no, no. Sorry boys, I don't sing." Flynn responded, crossing his arms. He suddenly found himself facing dozens of swords. "I have dreams, like you, no, really." Flynn began singing. Jack and Hiccup could not contain their laughter. "Just much less touchy-feely. They mainly happen somewhere warm and sunny." Flynn took one of Vladimir's ceramic unicorns and placed in a pot full of sand. 'On an island that I own, tanned and rested and alone." Many thugs grabbed him and held him out. "Surrounded by enormous piles of money." The thugs threw him up into the air.

Rapunzel mounted herself on to a wooden table and stood before a crowd, deciding it was her time to shine. "I've got a dream!"

"She's got a dream!" Ruffians turned to face her.

"I've got a dream!" She sang.

"She's got a dream!"

"I just want to see the floating lanterns gleam!" She continued to sing.

"Yeaahh!" The thugs called out.

Rapunzel glanced around the room, vocalizing. "And with every passing hour, I'm so glad I left my tower. Like all you lovely folks, I've got a dream!"

"She's got a dream! He's got a dream! They've got a dream! We've got a dream! So our diff'rences ain't really that extreme - we're one big team- call us brutal, sick-" Ruffians danced around the small building.

"Sadistic" Hook sang.

"And grotesquely optimistic" Big added.

"'Cause way deep down inside we've got a dream!"

Hook continued singing. "I've got a dream!"

"I've got a dream!" Big vocalized.

More Thugs sang. "I've got a dream! I've got a dream! I've got a dream!"

"I've got a dream!" Rapunzel sang happily, glancing at Jack and Hiccup. Their looks of discomfort made her laugh. Flynn was suddenly thrown on to a beer keg and sent rolling down the length of the room, dodging bursts of fire lit by Thugs .

"Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" Ulf hummed.

"Yes way down deep inside, I've got a dream! Yeaahh!" Everyone sang, ending the song.

All was going great until the man Hook had talked to earlier burst through the door. "I found the guards!" Flynn tugged on Rapunzel's arm and he hid underneath the pub's counter.

"Uh, oh." Jack straightened. "We've got trouble." Hiccup glanced at the door and gasped. Corona guards burst through the door, shoving Greno to the side.

"Where's Rider? Where is he?" The captain called. "I know he's in here somewhere. Find him; turn the place upside down if you have to!" The captain slammed his hand down on to the counter above Flynn and Rapunzel. Flynn peered up over the counter at the door just in time to see more guards flow in, bringing in two thieves they caught. Flynn gasped, recognizing the two thieves. If they saw him, they would kill him on sight. He sank back to the ground. Jack gripped his staff in the corner nearby. Suddenly Hook appeared at Flynn and Rapunzel's side. His eyes glanced at them, then to the right, then back at them. Rapunzel crawled towards him as he quietly pulled a lever that opened a large, secret passage out of the Snuggly Duckling.

"Go, live your dream." He spoke quietly to the pair. Rapunzel glanced over at Jack and Hiccup and nodded her head towards the passage. Jack nodded in response, signaling that he was on his way.

"Hiccup, get Toothless and meet us at the end of this passage; it looks like it heads west, go that way." Jack ordered as he gripped his staff. Hiccup nodded in response and quickly slipped into the crowd, going unnoticed by the guards. He quickly stepped around the two thieves and ran out the door, tripped and caught himself before continuing to run into the forest where Toothless sat waiting.

"C'mon bud." Hiccup switched the gears on Toothless' saddle and he mounted the black dragon, gripping the reins. Toothless lowered himself to the ground, pushed off and launched off into the air, shooting through the trees.

Inside, Jack scrambled over to the secret passage. "I will." Flynn smiled as he peered into the dark passage.

"Your dream stinks. I was talking to her." Hook replied. Flynn's expression dropped and he crawled into the passage unhappily. Jack stepped around Hook and walked into the passage.

"Thanks for everything." Rapunzel kissed Hook on the cheek before sliding into the passage, followed by her long hair. Hook smiled down at her before closing the passage door.

Flynn lit an old lantern he found in the tunnel and stood. "There." He held up the lantern and led the way down the dark corridor. "Well, I've got to say; I didn't know you had that in you back there. That was pretty impressive." Flynn glanced over his shoulder at Rapunzel.

"I know!" Rapunzel jumped up in excitement. "I know." She said more calmly the second time. Jack leisurely placed his staff across his shoulders. After a minute, Rapunzel brushed aside a piece of her hair and she glanced up at Flynn. "So, Flynn, where are you from?"

"Whoo-hoo! Sorry, Blondie, I don't do back-story. However, I am becoming very interested in yours. Now I, know I'm not supposed to mention the hair." Flynn started.

"Nope." Rapunzel shook her head.

"Or the mother." Flynn added.

"Nah, ah." She replied.

"Frankly im too scared to ask about the frog."

"Chameleon." She gestured to Pascal.

"Nuance. Here's my question, though: if you want to see the lanterns so badly, why haven't you gone before?" Flynn asked, stopping.

"Uh. Huh, well…" She began but was cut off by a rock that fell from the ceiling and hit her on the head. There was a clamor behind them and lights began to flicker into view. "Uh… Flynn… Flynn."

"Rider!" The captain's voice echoed from behind them.

"Run!" Flynn urged her forward. Rapunzel began grabbing her hair and ran down the length of the corridor. Flynn ran after her and Jack launched himself off the ground and began flying after them. He dragged his staff against the ground, freezing the floor behind them. That would stall their pursuers for a while. A light formed at the end of the tunnel and they continued to run until they reached the exit and screeched to a halt. There was nothing ahead but a large drop off from the cliff they stood on. They were surrounded by a massive dam and rock canyon. Flynn quickly peered down off the cliff, staring down at the broken rope bridge that hung below. There was no way down. It was at least a two-hundred foot drop below. He then glanced further down into the canyon as a noise caught his attention. Below, there was an opening in the rock and the two thieves broke through the wooden beams that barricaded it shut.

Rapunzel stood at his side, catching sight of the thieves below; all seventy feet of her hair and her frying pan in her arms. Jack glanced back at where they came from. "Who's that?" Rapunzel asked.

Flynn grabbed her shoulder. "They don't like me."

The palace guards caught up to them then, exiting the passageway. Jack gripped his staff and pointed it towards them, prepared to shoot a wall of ice at them. "Who's that?" Rapunzel glanced at the guards.

"They don't like me either." Flynn responded, wishing he was invisible. Suddenly a large white horse charged through the exit and stood beside the men, whinnying in anger.

"Who's that?!" Rapunzel's eyes widened.

Flynn took her by the shoulders. "Let's just assume for the moment that everyone here doesn't like me!" He spoke quickly. Jack rolled his eyes in agreement.

Rapunzel dropped her hair, a determined look on her face. "Here!" She slammed the frying pan into Flynn's open hands. She grabbed her hair by a large piece and lassoed it into the air, where it caught hold of an old beam on the old waterwheel nearby. She then grabbed on to her hair and pushed off of the cliff, swinging over the canyon and on to another cliff nearby.

Jack glanced back at Flynn. "What does she expect you to do with a frying pan?"

The captain cut off Flynn's response by laughing. "I've waited a long time for this." He unsheathed his sword and began approaching the pair, concentrated on Flynn. A small whimper escaped Flynn's lips as the captain drew nearer. Then, just as the captain began to swing his sword down at Flynn, Flynn used Rapunzel's frying pan to whack him silly, rendering him unconscious. The rest of Corona's guards followed in pursuit, but were no match for Rapunzel's frying pan in Flynn's hands.

Flynn stared down at the Frying pan in shock. Jack's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "Oooh mama, I have got to get me one of these!" The sound of another sword being unsheathed caught their attention and Flynn held out the frying pan. "Ha!" The white horse now stood before the pair, sword in its mouth. Flynn's expression dropped at he quickly dodged the sudden blows the horse tried to give him. "You should know that this is the strangest thing I've ever done!" Flynn called out. Jack just stood there, unsure of what to do. That's when the white horse used the sword in its mouth to knock the frying pan out of Flynn's hand, sending it flying into the canyon below. Flynn stood there for a moment. "Uh. How 'bout two outta three?" He spoke. The horse pointed the sword back at him.

"Flynn!" Rapunzel tossed her hair across the canyon, which wrapped around Flynn's hand. She tugged on the hair and Flynn was sent flying through the canyon. Jack flew up into the air, gripping his staff. The white horse dropped the sword in his mouth, shocked. Rapunzel glanced down, suddenly worried. "Flynn, look out!" She called as the two thieves ran up to meet Flynn as he flew down into the canyon on Rapunzel's hair. She tugged on her hair just in time and Flynn rose higher into the air, missing their swords' blades.

"Ha! You should see your faces because you look-" It was then that as he was soaring through the air that Flynn collided with a wooden beam, crushing his lower torso. "Ridiculous." He groaned in a pained and restrained voice. Jack couldn't help but laugh. Rapunzel winced but glanced back at the other cliff as the white horse began to kick down a large wooden beam, which landed on the cliff she stood on.

"Rapunzel!" Jack called down at her.

"Come on, Blondie; jump!" Flynn called from the waterwheel's water chute, grabbing her hair. Rapunzel gripped her hair and ran off the edge of the cliff just as the white horse charged across the wooden beam and after her; barely missing her hair by a few inches. Rapunzel swung to the ground and grabbed her hair, running from the two thieves below. Flynn jumped off the railing of the water chute and slid down the length of it, appearing to look like he was water surfing down the chute. He quickly reached the ground, knocking the chute to the ground below. He grabbed the ten feet of hair that Rapunzel couldn't hold and they continued to run. Jack descended down to them, flying alongside them.

A large clamor behind them caught Jack's attention and he turned around in horror, watching as the massive, water-filled dam burst apart, filling the canyon with water, wooden beams and bricks. Rapunzel and Flynn sped up, running faster. The water came crashing down on them, colliding with a massive rock form that plummeted to the ground that they stood on. Jack felt a cold shiver run down his back as the shadow fell upon them and he sent a powerful burst through his staff, which turned as blue and bright as Toothless' plasma blasts, and up towards the plummeting rock. A huge ice formation formed around them and the rock collided with it, breaking through the barrier and down upon them. Jack scrambled after Rapunzel and Flynn into the cave they found just as the rock neared the ground. At the last second, Flynn grabbed the frying pan that had flowed into the cave with the water just as the rock cut off the world from them, trapping them in the cave. "Aaaaagh!" Rapunzel yelled as they made it into the cave, out of breath. They scrambled to higher ground as the cave began to fill up with water.

Shock crossed Flynn's face and he dove into the water, trying to find a way out. Rapunzel tried to use her frying pan to pry away loose rocks. Flynn continuously resurfaced before diving back in. He finally gave up and resurfaced after a minute. Flynn, too, tried to pry away the rocks, before he sliced his hand open on a sharp one. He hissed in pain and dove back in the water again, but resurfaced quickly. "It's no use. I can't see anything." Another cold chill ran down the length of Jack's spine. He could survive drowning, he was immortal and didn't need to breath; but within 5 minutes, Rapunzel and Flynn would be dead when the water filled the cave completely and they couldn't breathe. Rapunzel dove into the water, refusing to give up; but Flynn pulled her back up to the surface and pushed back the wet blonde hair that covered her face. "Hey, there's no point. It's pitch-black down there." He spoke.

Jack tensed at the words Flynn had just said. Rapunzel leaned against the rock wall, scared. Regret crossed her face. Jack walked up to them, his white hair damp and sticking to his forehead, staff in his hand. Grief filled his heart. There was no way out. "This is all my fault. She was right; I never should have done this." Rapunzel began to sob. She glanced at Jack. "I'm so... I'm so sorry, Jack; Flynn." She held a hand to her face, hiding her tears. Jack placed a hand on her shoulder.

Flynn sighed, torn. He closed his eyes as the single word escaped his lips. "Eugene."

Rapunzel glanced up at Flynn, confused. "What?" She croaked.

"My real name is Eugene Fitzherbert." Flynn explained. Jack's jaw dropped. "Someone might as well know." He added.

Rapunzel sniffed, rubbing her nose. "I have magic hair that glows when I sing." Rapunzel spoke, a light smile on her face.

"What?" Eugene flinched back, shocked.

Rapunzel grabbed a piece of her hair. "I have magic hair that glows when I sing!" Her face lit up. "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine…" The water rose dramatically and the cave filled. They all held their breath. After a few seconds, Rapunzel's hair lit up like a candle, lighting up the dark, water-filled cave; gleaming its brilliant gold color.

"Whoa!" Eugene let out air in shock. He quickly held his breath again. The length of her hair quickly became lit with golden light and they watched as a section of it was sucked in towards several rocks, which could only mean one thing; air and a place to escape. Rapunzel glanced at Eugene and he dove deeper into the water and began scrambling to move the rocks. The light of Rapunzel's hair began to fade and turned to her normal color. Jack swam over to them and began prying the rocks off of wall with them. Then everything turned dark as Rapunzel's hair returned to normal. Jack scrambled to get the rocks away. He may not need to breathe, but they did. Rapunzel felt a pounding in her head as she began to struggle against the water and her vision blurred. After nearly minutes of digging, the rocks broke free and the wall caved, the water pulling them out. The small group suddenly found themselves swimming in a wide river. They swam to the edge and pulled themselves onto the shore, gasping for air; spitting the water in their lungs out.

Hiccup and Toothless soared through the sky, searching for their friends. They had headed west, just like Jack had said, but they saw no exits in the forest or outside of it. Had they flown the wrong direction? Hiccup began to grow worried; there was no sign of them anywhere. His thick brows furrowed together and his eyes wandered anxiously. Toothless sensed Hiccup's anxiety and a deep grumble escaped his scaled lips, trying to comfort his friend. "Where are they?" Hiccup spoke out loud. There was an unexpected clamor far off to his right and Hiccup glanced up in time to watch as a massive dam nearby burst apart, hundreds of thousands of gallons of water exploding into a canyon below. Hiccup's green eyes widened and he tugged on the reigns of Toothless' saddle. "I hope they aren't in there." Toothless flew at Night Fury speed to the dam and he quickly perched on a rock at the top of the canyon. Hiccup anxiously glanced around, seeing nothing but water and wood. However, as he sat and watched, searching for his friends, he saw a massive blue explosion in the distance and watched in horror as an enormous rock plummeted to the ground, breaking through a strange barrier and colliding with the ground before being swallowed up by water. It was then as the dam's water swallowed up the rock that Hiccup realized the strange barrier wasn't actually blue, but crystal blue… clear… ice blue. His eyes widened and he tugged on the reigns again. Toothless launched up into the sky and soared over the canyon to the ice structure. "No!" Hiccup gasped. Toothless whimpered. Hiccup's heart began to race in his chest and he began to panic. He almost had to remind himself to breathe.

Toothless began to search around the area, hoping there was some way their friends had made it through the water and being trapped somewhere. After several minutes, their hopes were just about drained when another burst of water just to the south of them caught their attention. Toothless automatically dove towards the area. He landed near a river and anxiously glanced around, searching the water for the rest of the group. Almost automatically, Rapunzel and Flynn burst out of the water and on to the shore, coughing out the water that filled their lungs. Jack slowly pulled himself out of the water and tossed his staff on to the grass that surrounded the river. He spit out a bunch of water, but overall was fine; he wasn't coughing or even collapsing to the ground like the other two where. The only thing that looked wrong with him was his dark white hair was soaked and stuck to his forehead, rather than defying gravity as it usually did. Hiccup leapt off of Toothless' back and scrambled to the shore. He helped Jack up, who gratefully glanced up to see that his friend had found them.

A light grin appeared on his face. "You found us!"

"I also thought you were dead." Hiccup jerked his head in the direction of the dam. Jack glanced over and noticed the huge ice pillar in the distance.

"Only two things can kill me now, and drowning's not one of them. I'm immortal, remember?" Jack sighed and shook his head a little, rinsing out his white hair.

"Go ahead and rub it in." Hiccup gave him a look. Jack just grinned. Hiccup glanced down at Rapunzel and Flynn.

"We made it!" Rapunzel brushed aside her wet hair.

Flynn, on the other hand, looked dazed. "Her hair glows." Hiccup quirked an eyebrow at him.

"We're alive. I'm alive." Rapunzel pulled herself off the ground, grabbing her frying pan and running down the river bank, beginning to pull her hair out of the running river.

"I didn't see that coming!" Flynn turned to Pascal, who sat on the grass next to him.

"Eugene." Rapunzel tried to get his attention. Hiccup gave Jack a bewildered look. Jack grinned and gave him another tell-you-later look.

"Her hair actually glows." Flynn coughed.

Rapunzel called once more. "Eugene."

"Why does her hair glow?" Flynn looked asked Pascal, on the verge of freaking out.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel shouted.

"What?" Flynn gripped his injured hand and looked up at her.

She held up her hair, still pulling it out of the water. "It doesn't just glow."

Pascal made his reptilian scowl and smiled up at Flynn. "Why is he smiling at me?" He asked, concerned.

Hiccup only grew more confused and turned to face Jack again, needing to know what was going on. "What happened in the cave?" he demanded.

Jack sniggered. "We learned that Flynn isn't actually Flynn and he learned that Rapunzel's hair glows when she sings." Hiccup's mouth popped open a little and his eyes widened, taking it in. Toothless wandered over to Rapunzel's side and cooed. Rapunzel patted him on the head and finished pulling all seventy feet of her hair out of the water. Jack walked over to Eugene and held out a hand, who took it, and pulled him to his feet. After a long minute, Toothless' ear flicked and he turned around and wandered away from Rapunzel's side to the tree lining near the river and stood on his hind legs, ears pricked forward. His black pupils narrowed into thin slits and he crouched down on all fours, wings slightly unfolded and teeth lightly barred. A deep grumble escaped his scaled lips and he slipped into the forest stealthily, growing quiet. Jack and Hiccup grew alarmed at the sight of Toothless' sudden behavior. "Where's he going?" Jack asked Hiccup. Hiccup shrugged in response.

"Toothless!" Hiccup called. There was no response from the black creature, which had disappeared into the forest. Rapunzel glanced over her shoulder, eyebrows pulling together. A silence grew among the four and Jack froze in place, listening for the slightest sound. Hiccup quietly walked over to the tree lining, but couldn't see Toothless anywhere. There was some kind of sound in the distance, a sound he had never heard before. It was almost like a deep pounding against the ground; however, nearly every pound seemed like it was timed, on beat with a certain rhythm. It was like a lightning storm that could only be heard because of its roaring thunder. Perhaps not roaring thunder, but more like a _rolling_ thunder. Hiccup's thick eyebrows pulled together as he tried to figure out what the sound was. There were no clouds in the sky, so it couldn't be a storm. "Do you guys hear that?" Jack listened for a moment, trying to listen over the flowing river behind him.

"No." Jack grumbled, giving up. There was suddenly a high pitched noise in the distance and their heads shot up. It was a hoarse, terror filled noise that rang through the forest. It almost sounded just like a human scream, but it was… off. Rapunzel's blood ran cold and flushed from her face. A cold shiver shot down the length of Eugene's spine, making him shake. He recognized the sound, for all the years that he had been on the run; he had always heard that sound. Well, not particularly that sound, but it did come from the same animal. His eyes widened. A thick, throaty roar echoed through the trees and Hiccup shot into the forest, running as fast as his legs could carry him; recognizing Toothless' roar. Jack gripped his staff and flew in after him. Toothless' roars continued, growing louder as the pair got closer. More of the high pitched human-like screams echoed through the forest, barely heard over the dragon's roars.

"Toothless!" Hiccup called, scrambling through the forest. "Toothless?!" Another roar burst through the forest and Hiccup headed north. Jack struggled to keep up with Hiccup; he was a very fast runner for a boy with a missing leg. Then again, for fifteen years he had been picked on and was constantly on the run from bullies; he had to be fast. They were getting closer when a different noise echoed through the forest. Jack's face grew paler than it already was. This time it was a high pitched human scream. Hiccup froze in place as something shot past him and lodged itself into a tree. Hiccup glanced to his left and noticed a wooden arrow lodged into a soft barked tree. A sweat ran down his temple and he took off again, worried. There was a sudden silence and all noises ceased. A growl nearby caught Hiccup's attention and he quickly glanced ahead to see Toothless crouched on the ground, wings unfolded, teeth barred in a vicious sneer. "Toothless, stop!" Hiccup ordered. Toothless' massive eyes glanced in Hiccup's direction and his wings folded, but his sneer remained on his large head. A movement in front of the beast caught its attention again and he side stepped towards Hiccup and Jack and stood before them in a protective stance, wings slightly unfolded again. "Toothless, what is the-" Hiccup saw then what Toothless was staring at.

Not too far away a stranger stood in the woods, standing beside one of the massive, soft-barked tree. This stranger wasn't like anything the two boys thought they would ever see. Before them stood a girl like no other. She was much taller than Hiccup was, who stood at five-foot-one; but wasn't nearly as tall as Jack, who stood at about five-foot-nine. She must have been at least five-foot-four or five. She had a very round face, round cheeks, short, pointed chin; and a short forehead. Her eyes, too, were very round with thick aquamarine-blue irises, very small black pupils, and her eyelashes were fairly short and a beautiful ginger-red color. Her eyelids were narrow and her semi-thick ginger-red eyebrows heavily arched over her eyes; on the inner sides, her eyebrows were very thick and round, while they quickly tapered into thin points on her temples. Her nose bridge was narrow and straight, ending with a small nose that slightly pointed upwards; her nostrils were narrow and the wings of her nostrils were semi-wide. Her lips were dark pink in color, the upper lips just a shade darker; the lower lip was much fuller than the top.

She had a long neck and her skin was just about as pale as Hiccup's. Very few freckles spotted her pale face and the hair that grew on her head was copper-red and was extremely wild, hanging in frantic curls that hung to her waist. A large piece of copper-red hair hung in her face and over part of her left eye. She wore a dark teal-blue dress that showed her collar bones and fit snuggly over her slightly heavier build. The rim of her dress was lined with a thick white fabric that reminded Jack of his shirt. Her arms were long and thick, and at the elbows, the blue fabric was replaced by the same white fabric that lined her neck and then returned to the blue fabric after a few inches; the sleeves stopped at her thin wrists. Her pale hands were small and her thin fingers were short. Her chest was fairly flat and her torso was short. Around her wide hips, a leather sheath full of wooden arrows was attached by a leather strap. After her hips, the dark teal-blue dress hung loosely to the ground, concealing her legs from sight. Over her dress, she wore a dark black cape with a hood that hung down on her back. As beautiful as she was, right now she was more dangerous. In her small hands was a sleek and dangerous wooden bow, armed with an arrow, drawn back, prepared to fire and pointed directly at Toothless. Determination was expressed on this strangers face and the look in her blue eyes automatically told them she would not miss if she released that arrow.

Jack audibly gulped. Hiccup glanced at him in the corner of his eye. Jack gripped at his staff tightly and a cold sweat broke out on his neck. Hiccup struggled to breathe right, exhausted from all the running. Toothless growled at the stranger, his pupils narrow slits. "Toothless." Hiccup spoke in a tone that made Toothless fold his wings and slowly drop his sneer. Behind the stranger, a massive black horse let out a terrified whinny, running around in loopy circles. The stranger's dress was torn and stained brown and green from mud and grass after being thrown off of her horse. Leaves were tangled in her copper-red hair and her pale face was slightly flushed. Hiccup took a few shaky steps forward, running his right hand along Toothless' side. "Sit." He ordered the dragon. The black dragon glanced at him and grumbled in protest. "Toothless, I said sit." He ordered in a more demanding tone. The dragon flinched a little and reluctantly sat back on his hind legs. His pupils squared out a little bit more, his mouth clamped shut and his wings rested against his sleek back. He lightly harrumphed in reply and lowered his head to the ground, ashamed of his bahavior. The stranger watched this exchange with curiosity, her eyes squinting just a little bit as she analyzed first the dragon and then the boy who ordered him to stand down. Jack watched as both curiosity and confusion seeped into her expression. Her bow shifted a little bit, facing the ground a little more. Her grip loosened around the feathered end of the wooden arrow and the string became untaught. Her eyebrows pulled together as well.

Hiccup glanced over at the girl, a nervous look on his face. He tried to figure out what to say to her that wouldn't set her off and make her shoot them dead. Jack sensed his nervousness and began thinking. At this point, he wasn't even sure if she could see him. Hiccup cleared his throat and she glanced at him. "I am so sorry for my dragon's behavior." He glared at Toothless for a second. Toothless whimpered. "He's normally not like this." He glanced at the girl. Her face softened a little and her bow lowered some more until it rested against her left leg. She shifted her weight. Jack relaxed a little. She blinked for a moment and un-knocked the arrow from her bow and placed it back into her leather sheath, deciding these strangers were not much of a threat. She held the wooden bow in her other hand. Hiccup sighed. She nodded excepting his apology. She glanced at the other boy on the dragon's right side and knew exactly who he was. Her thick eyebrows pulled up a little in shock as she made eye contact with him. A light smile crossed Jack's face when he noticed that she could see him.

She abruptly looked over her shoulder at the still circling horse behind her. "Angus!" Her voice was heavily accented. It took a minute for Hiccup to realize that it was a Scottish accent. The massive horse halted where it was and galloped up to her side, head bowed a little to her height. She patted the horse's thick shoulder. Angus must have been at least seven feet tall. He was built strong, with muscular limbs, a thick neck and a massive head. Most of his body was about as black as Toothless was, but the front of the horse's face was pure white and it had fluffy white stockings that went up to its knees. Its long black tail's hair hung to the ground and his mane reached the top of his forelegs. On its wide back was a brown leather saddle and reigns hung from its face. Jack realized that the horse was a Clydesdale, one of the largest horse species. "Aye, Angus 's jus' eh big cow'rd." She glanced back at the boys. "Yer dragon scared 'im pretty bad." Scottish citizens that traveled always came one way or another on to Berk, many with heavy accents, so Hiccup was used to Scottish accents; Jack wasn't very used to them though and it took him a minute to realize what she had said.

"Yeah, we heard him from quite a bit a ways." Jack smirked. The girl glanced at him.

"Sorry about that." Hiccup patted Toothless' side before steadily walking up to her. "I'm Hiccup." He held out a hand, introducing himself.

"I'm Merida." She shook his hand. Hiccup nodded.

"Nice to meet you Merida." He replied. "I take it you are already familiar with Jack." He gestured to Jack, who walked up to them and shook hands with her as well.

Merida smiled, revealing fine, straight, white teeth. "Aye, thare're fair eh lot 'o legends aboot Jack Frost 'n Scotland." She replied. Hiccup grinned at her response.

Jack suddenly glanced up at the sky, noticing the sun was beginning to set off into the west. "Hic, we should be getting back, the suns starting to set and the others might think something has happened to us." Hiccup glanced up at Jack and nodded. Jack looked down at Merida. "Care to join us, Merida?"

Merida smirked and bit her lower lip, deciding what to do. "Ah guess ah'll gae wi ye." She responded after a moment, slipping her wooden bow over her wild head and hanging it on her back. "Lead t'e wey."

"Good." Jack responded and began trekking back to the river.

Hiccup walked over to Toothless. "Sorry I snapped at you bud." Hiccup lightly patted Toothless on the head. Toothless cooed in response and harrumphed, forgiving him. His head shot up and he stood on all fours as Hiccup pulled himself on to the saddle, shifted the gears and pulled his legs into the stirrups, his prosthetic clicking into place. Merida watched this, asking herself why she hadn't noticed his leg earlier. After a few seconds, she turned to Angus and made a few clicking sounds with her tongue. Angus stepped forward and she placed her left leg into the stirrup, grabbed a piece of hair from his mane and pulled herself up on to the saddle, swung her right leg over the massive horse's back and thrust it into the stirrup on the right side. She grabbed the reigns and nudged Angus' sides with her feet. Angus began walking forward, stepped over a fallen tree with ease and began to follow Jack in the forest.

"We'll see you guys there!" Hiccup called after them. Merida glanced over her shoulder in time to see Toothless crouch to the ground and push off, through the trees and into the sky with lightning speed. Her mouth popped open in awe. For such a dangerous creature, it was definitely a graceful one.

"So, Jack" Merida spoke as Angus caught up with the spirit. "'re t'e legends true that ye can flee?"

It took a few seconds for Jack to respond, still figuring out her thick accent. "Fly? Yes." He gripped his staff and flew up to her height, where she sat on her massive horse.

She laughed, shocked. "Aye, t'e legends're true." She grinned.

"Say, can Angus go faster than this pace?" He nodded to the horse.

"'o course." She grinned, gripping the reigns "Yah!" She abruptly called and Angus burst forward at an amazing speed, cantering through the forest. Jack laughed and quickly caught up, flying through the forest after her. Merida's wild copper-red locks blew out of her face in the wind and she breathed in happily, enjoying her freedom. Jack led her through the woods and then slowed down just before the forest ended on the river bank, landing on the ground. "Whoa! Steady laddie." She lightly tugged on the reigns. Angus slowed to a walk.

"We're here." Jack told her. Merida nodded and slid off of Angus' back. She grabbed his reigns and walked him the rest of the way. Angus whinnied in response. "I have to say, for a horse that big, he can go pretty fast!" He walked alongside her.

Merida laughed in response. "Thank ye. Et wisna 'is courage ah gae 'im for." She sniggered. Jack nodded as they stepped out of the forest. Rapunzel glanced up from the fire that Eugene must have gotten going while they were away, her hair completely dry. Toothless' head shot up and he gave them a welcoming gummy smile, lying near the fire. Merida laughed upon seeing the dragon's face.

Hiccup stood. "Took you long enough." He teased them.

"Aye, Angus mey be eh faest horse, bu' 'e esna as faest as yer dragon." Merida shrugged. Angus neighed, shaking his head to get the black hair from his bangs out of his large eyes. "Easy laddie." She patted his nose. Hiccup nodded, agreeing with her statement.

"Merida, these are our friends, Rapunzel and Fly- er, Eugene." Hiccup gestured to the two sitting on a tree. He turned to Eugene. "You guys have got to stop changing names on me. It gets confusing." Eugene lightly put his hands up in his defense. Hiccup rolled his eyes. Merida sniggered before glancing at the two. She took in Rapunzel first, catching glimpse of all that hair. Her eyes widened a little. Rapunzel laughed at Merida's look and stood up, walking over to her.

"It's nice to meet you, Merida." She grinned. Merida smiled back at her. Rapunzel took in Merida's hair, loving how wild and free it looked. "I love your hair!" She added.

A light blush tried to make its way on to Merida's pale face. "Thanks." Jack sniggered. After a few seconds, Merida patted Angus' hind quarters and the horse knelt to its knees and lay down on the soft grass. Toothless cocked his head at the horse with curiosity. On Berk, they didn't have horses; Dragons were the only way of transportation. Angus looked back at the dragon, deciding whether he should move away from the beast. Angus made an uncomfortable look up at Merida. Almost everyone saw it and began laughing. "'e's nae gaenna hurt ye." The horse whinnied under its breathe and tried as best as possible not to look at the black dragon. Toothless harrumphed.

That's when Jack noticed that Eugene still held his left hand in his right. "Punzie, you didn't fix his hand?"

"Huh?" She glanced over her shoulder at Jack and then glanced at Eugene. "Oh. No, I forgot."

"What?" Eugene looked up, startled.

"It doesn't just glow, remember?" She spoke and walked over to his side. The blood in Eugene's face flushed. Merida quirked an eyebrow as Hiccup sat down on a root of a tree near the fire. Jack sniggered. "Here, give me your hand." Eugene gave her an apprehensive look. Merida silently walked over to Hiccup and sat near him, unsure of what else to do. Jack just leaned against staff. Rapunzel tugged on a piece of her hair and pulled it up to her until the tips rested in her hand. After a minute, Eugene silently held out his injured hand. Rapunzel took his hand, sat down on the root beside him and began wrapping her hair around it. Merida and Hiccup glanced at each other, unsure of what was going on. Hiccup shrugged.

"So you're being strangely cryptic as you wrap your 'magic' hair around my injured hand." Eugene spoke after a minute. That's when Rapunzel accidentally pulled on her hair too tight and it clamped around his wound. "Agh" He flinched.

Rapunzel winced. "Sorry." She sighed and sat up. "Just don't…" She looked at Merida and Hiccup, and then looked back at Eugene. "Don't freak out." Eugene made a worrisome face.

Rapunzel sighed again and closed her eyes, sat up straighter and began to sing. "Flower gleam and glow." Her roots began to glow it bright golden color. Merida and Hiccup's eyes widened dramatically. "Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse; bring back what once was mine." The golden light steadily flowed through the length of her hair, which wound around the entire campsite. Pascal, who sat on the other side of the campfire in the grass, gestured for Eugene to look at his hand. The light flowed into the hair that surrounded his hand and he was surprised at the warmth it brought. "Heal what has been hurt, change the fates design." Merida glanced up. "Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine; what once was mine." She finished her small song, and opened her eyes as the light quickly faded from her long blonde hair. Eugene pulled the hair away from his hand and his eyes widened. He stared at his hand, clean, fresh, uncut; perfect. He flipped his hand around and Merida, Hiccup and Rapunzel saw the healed skin.

"Whoa." Hiccup gasped.

Eugene was on the verge of a meltdown. He nearly shouted out in surprise when Rapunzel caught him just as his mouth opened. "Don't freak out!" She made a torn face at him.

Eugene awkwardly crossed his arms loosely over his chest and tried to prevent himself from freaking out."Im-not-freaking-out-are-you-freaking-out-no-i'm-just-very-interested-in-your-hair-and-the-magical-qualities-it-possesses. How long has it been doing that exactly?" He spoke quickly.

Rapunzel thought for a moment, turning to face the campfire. "Uh, forever, I guess." She responded. Her face suddenly became serious. "When I was a baby, people tried to cut it. They wanted to take it for themselves. But, once it's cut," Rapunzel brushed aside the blonde hair on her neck, revealing the short brown piece of hair. "It turns brown and loses its power. A gift like that, it has to be protected. That's why my mother never let me…" She sighed, frustrated. "That's why I never left the…" She cut off, unable to finish. Hiccup smirked, starting to put two and two together. Merida raised her eyebrows in sudden concern for the girl.

"…you never left that tower." Eugene finished her sentence. She gave him a puzzled look. "And you're still going back?" He asked.

"No! Yes. Ugh. It's complicated." She sighed, planting her face into the palms of her hands. Jack slowly walked over and sat beside her, patting her shoulder. Pascal found himself sitting beside her bare feet, resting his head against her ankle. Night had completely casted over the forest and the only things they could see were lit by the fire. Merida listened to the crackling of the fire. After a minute, Rapunzel raised her head and brushed aside her blonde hair. Jack rested his staff against a tree. She thought for a minute. "So, Eugene Fitzherbert, huh?" She asked, remembering the events of the cave.

Eugene glanced down at her, gripping his hand. "Uh, yeah. Well. I'll spare you the sob story of poor orphan Eugene Fitzherbert, it's a little bit of a… it's a little bit of a downer." Rapunzel scooted closer, showing him that she wanted to hear about it. Hiccup leaned forward. "Huh." He laughed at Rapunzel under his breath, surprised by her eagerness. "There was this book, a book I used to read every night to all the younger kids, 'the tales of Flynnigan Rider'. Swashbuckling rouge, richest man alive. Not bad with the ladies, either. Not that he would brag about it, of course." He explained.

"Hmm. Was he a thief too?" She asked him.

Eugene paused for a minute. "Uh… well, no. Actually, he had enough money to do anything he wanted to do. He could go anywhere he wanted to go. And, and, and for a kid with nothing, I don't know, I... Just seemed like a better option." Rapunzel nodded thoughtfully. "You can't tell anyone about this, okay? It could ruin my whole reputation." He added, glancing at the others. Jack lightly sniggered under his breath. Hiccup nodded. Merida stared into the fire thoughtfully.

"Ah. We wouldn't want that." Rapunzel joked.

"Well, a fake reputation is all the man has." Eugene replied. They exchanged a few small laughs before a silence took over.

After a minute, Hiccup stood up slowly and turned to Jack. "Well, I'm going to take Toothless downstream and catch some fish, we haven't had anything all day." He spoke. Jack nodded in response, weary.

Merida glanced up at Hiccup. "Mind if ah jyn ye? Ah'm starving!"

"Sure." Hiccup shrugged as he bent down beside Toothless. During their long conversation, the large beast had fallen asleep. "Hey bud, c'mon." A deep grumble echoed through Toothless' chest and his softball sized eyes cracked open. His pupils were just about as big as they could get, adorably round. Smiling down at the sleepy beast, Merida stood to her feet. Toothless cooed and pushed himself off the ground. He stretched for a minute. "We'll be back in a bit." Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at the other three.

"Okay." Rapunzel waved. Merida followed alongside Toothless, who gave her a gummy smile. She laughed at him.

After about a minute of walking, the pair and Toothless were fairly far away from the campsite and Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at Merida. "That was pretty cool with Rapunzel's hair." Merida nodded her head in reply.

"Ah wisna expectin' that." She responded, catching up with Hiccup; he was a pretty fast walker.

Hiccup laughed under his breath. "I bet your hair could do that." He teased, referring to her copper-red hair.

"Och!" She laughed, lightly punching his left shoulder. He sniggered. Toothless harrumphed behind them. Hiccup thought to himself for a moment, it was nice being able to laugh for once. He wasn't able to do that back home, not with stress and pain and sorrow looming over his head. Being here helped clear his head, of everything. Of course, by thinking of everything of where he was from; it brought to his attention that something that was here also gave him a reminder. Merida. She was Scottish, kind of like him; which brought back more memories, his father and the grief he was probably feeling right now. But most of all, she reminded him of someone else, someone else he used to be close with. Astrid. Hiccup blinked as heaviness hit him. Astrid always used to punch him on the arm. Before… he lightly shook his head, refusing to think about it.

Merida sensed his sudden change of emotion. "'re ye alright, Hiccup?" She asked, she leaned forward a little, trying to get a better look at him, her ginger-red eyebrows pulled together.

"Yeah, just a lot of memories of home flowing in." He responded, glancing at her.

"Ye wanna talc aboot et?" She asked. Hiccup stopped walking. He shrugged, unsure. "Talc' in aboot things helps." She added.

Hiccup laughed a sad laugh under his breath. "Yeah, I guess so." Toothless lumbered into the river, sticking his head right into the water to search for fish. Merida snickered at Toothless.

"Whaur're ye frae?" She asked.

Hiccup smirked. "Scotland, well, really from an island off the coast of Scotland; but I guess you could say Scotland." He mumbled a little bit.

"Oh! So we're frae t'e same coontree." Merida's face lit up.

"Heh," He laughed. "kind of."

"So, hou on earth dae ye git hare?" She asked as he sat on the shoreline, feet hanging over the river. Merida sat beside him.

"Jack brought me here." He answered, pulling up a few blades of grass.

Merida cocked her head to the side. "Whit dae ye mean 'brought ye hare'?"

"He's on some kind of mission where he is supposed to find a missing princess and unite three teenagers together; though I guess he's found us all, now." He looked at Merida.

"Princess from whaur?" A sudden heaviness hit her. Her heart began to race and her eyebrows pulled together.

Hiccup shrugged. "Corona, the kingdom nearby; the princess has been missing for like eighteen years."

"Oh." Merida replied. She relaxed a little bit. "Ye think s'e's 'till alive?" She asked. "That's 'n awful long t'me tae be missin'."

"At this point im not sure." Hiccup thought for a moment, running his short fingers through his messy auburn-brown hair. A sudden splash caught their attention and they glanced into the river, noticing that Toothless had fallen in. Toothless burst out of the water, soaking wet. He scrambled to the shore, coughing out water. Hiccup sniggered. Toothless froze and glanced at his friend. "Uh oh." Hiccup's face dropped.

"Whit?" Merida asked. She glanced over her shoulder at Toothless just as he began to shake off the water, reminding her of a dog. The river's water splattered everywhere, soaking Merida and Hiccup. "Oof!" She wiped off her face and glanced at Hiccup. His brown hair was darker due to the night, now plus the water and it hung into his green eyes and his fur vest was entirely soaked. Merida giggled at him.

"You think I look bad; you should see yourself!" Hiccup brushed aside his wet bangs so he could see. Merida's copper-red hair was soaked and hung in heavy ringlets now past her hips. The piece of hair that normally hid part of her left eye now stuck to her small nose. She crossed her aquamarine-blue eyes, making Hiccup laugh. Toothless bounded over to them and gave them a gummy smile. Hiccup splashed the dragon. Toothless shook his head before licking Hiccup from the shoulder up with his long, split tongue. "Ugh! You know that doesn't wash out!" He squinted his left eye shut, the entire left side of his face covered in slobber. Toothless made a sound like he was laughing.

"Eurgh." Merida grimaced. He sniggered at her expression. "No, Ah'm pretty extra shuur ye look worst." She argued, making her point.

"I think I can agree with that now." Hiccup wiped the slobber from his face on to his shoulder.

Jack wearily watched them walk off into the night. He lightly laughed under his breath when he saw Hiccup turn to Merida and say something that made her lightly punch him on the shoulder. Somehow he knew she belonged in the group, just like Eugene did. Jack caught himself sighing. He glanced over at the two beside him in the corner of his eye. Looking at Rapunzel. He was finally deciding to let her go. She was never really his to keep anyway. Jack steadily stood to his feet. Rapunzel glanced up at him. "I'm going to get some sleep. You guys should, too; it could be a long day tomorrow." He informed them.

"Alright." Rapunzel lightly grinned and bid him good-night. Jack grabbed his staff from the tree where they sat and walked over to a smaller one nearby. He placed his staff on the ground and leaned his head against the soft-barked tree, his eyelids closing. Jack didn't necessarily need any sleep for a while; but it had been a long day and, between ruffians, the dam, Berk, the guards, and Merida's arrival, the day had exhausted him.

After a minute, Eugene rose to his feet and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Well, I should, um… I, I should… I should get some more fire word." Rapunzel nodded in response and Eugene turned around and began walking into the forest to collect wood for the fire.

"Hey." Rapunzel called after him. Eugene turned around to glance at her. "For the record, I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider." She told him.

A light smile made its way across his face and he gripped at his healed hand. "Well, then you'd be the first…. But thank you." Was the last Jack heard before he completely zonked out.

Rapunzel smiled at Eugene before he turned back around and walked into the forest.

"Well! I thought they'd never leave!" A voice called from behind Rapunzel. The blood in her face turned ice cold and she froze, terrified. She knew that voice better than anyone else's. She slowly turned around, her expression dropping.

"Mother?!" She looked at the tall woman that she called mother, cloaked in a dark cape, an angry expression forming on her face. Why was she here? She was supposed to be on a trip to get Rapunzel some shells for paint, which would take three days! Rapunzel's green eyes widened. Rapunzel's mother pulled off the hood that concealed her head, revealing her greying hair.

"Hello dear." Her mother replied.

"But I, I, I, I don't, uh… How did you find me?" Rapunzel stuttered, standing to face her mother. Her mother walked over to her and hugged her tightly.

Her mother's eyes had sunken and parts of her cheeks had fallen, showing signs of aging. "Oh, it was easy really. I just listened to the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that." Her mother ran a hand through Rapunzel's hair.

Rapunzel sighed, feeling small. "Mother…"

"We're going home, Rapunzel. Now." Her mother released her and grabbed Rapunzel's arm, tugging her away from the campsite.

Rapunzel struggled against her, shaking free. "You, you don't understand. I've been on this incredible journey and I've seen and learned so much and made so many new friends. I even met someone."

"Yes, the wanted thief, I'm so proud." Her mother replied sarcastically. "Come on, Rapunzel." She tugged on Rapunzel again.

"Mother, wait!" Rapunzel broke free again. "I think… I think he likes me."

Her mother turned around abruptly and stared at Rapunzel. "Likes you? Please, Rapunzel, that's demented."

"But mother, I…" Her mother walked past her, circling her.

"This is why you never should have left." Rapunzel sighed as her mother spoke. "Dear, this whole romance that you've invented" Her mother grabbed her shoulders. "Just proves that you're too naïve to be here." She grabbed strips of Rapunzel's hair dramatically and stepped backwards. "Why would he like you? Come on now, really. Look at you! You think that he's impressed?" She walked over to the edge of the forest lining and extended her arms out as Rapunzel frowned. "Don't be a dummy, come with mummy." She began singing. "Mother-"

"No!" Rapunzel cut her off, frustrated. Jack stirred in his sleep.

Her mother stopped. "No?! Oh." He face grew dark and mysterious. "I see how it is." She stalked forward to Rapunzel dramatically, swaying her hips and gesturing to her. She began singing darkly. "Rapunzel knows best. Rapunzel's so mature now. Such a clever grown up miss." She patted her hardly on the head. "Rapunzel knows best." Her fingers clawed at Rapunzel's face before she turned around and began walking away again. "Fine, if you're so sure now; go ahead and give him this!" She abruptly turned around again, holding out the crown from Eugene's satchel that Rapunzel had hidden in her tower.

"How did you-" Rapunzel tried to speak, shocked.

"This is why he's here! Don't let him deceive you! Give it to him, watch, you'll see!" She threw the crown at Rapunzel, who caught it, terrified.

"I will!" Rapunzel spoke defiantly.

"Trust me, my dear; that's how fast he'll leave you." She snapped. "I won't say I told you so! No, Rapunzel knows best! So if he's such a dreamboat; go and put him to the test!"

"Mother, wait!" Rapunzel called.

"If he's lying, don't come crying!" She sang darkly. "Mother knows best!" She wrapped herself in her cloak dramatically and vanished into midair. Rapunzel's eyes widened. She stood there for a minute, the satchel wrapped around her shoulder and the crown in her hands. What had she done? She looked down at the crown for a minute.

"So…" Eugene called in the distance. Rapunzel gasped and quickly hid the satchel. "Hey, uh… can I ask you something?" He walked over with an armful of branches for fire wood. "Is there any way I'm going to get super strength in my hand because im not going to lie. That would be stupendous." He noticed her just standing there, back to him. "Hey, you alright?" He asked.

Rapunzel turned around quickly. "Oh! Sorry, yes. Just, em, lost in thought, I guess." She replied and turned to face him.

Flynn shrugged and bent down, placing the wood on the ground near the fire. "I mean because here's the thing. Superhuman good looks, I've always had them- born with it, but superhuman strength? Can you imagine the possibilities of this…?" He continued talking. Rapunzel wearily glanced back at the tree where she hid the satchel, worried. Flynn placed more wood on the fire and it lit up in no time.

"Dae ye hear sumething?" Merida asked after a few minutes, hearing something in the forest. Toothless harrumphed in reply, hearing it to.

"I didn't hear anything." Hiccup muttered. Not too long after Toothless soaked them with river water, did they jump in themselves and begin fishing, hunger taking over. Merida fished efficiently with her bow and arrow, shooting the fish she saw in the river. Toothless dove right in, catching fish with his teeth and eating them raw. Hiccup watched in fascination as Merida fished with her bow. After a minute he spoke again. "Who taught you to shoot?" He asked.

Merida glanced up from the dark river and looked at Hiccup, a light smile on her face. "Ma dad." She straightened. "'e's grate wi weapons, 'e alsa taught me tae use eh sword." She waded through the water to the shore where Hiccup sat. "Well, 'e used tae be betta then me, 'till he lost 'is leg tae eh bear." She frowned.

That caught Hiccup's attention. "Your father lost his leg?"

"Aye, when ah was jus' eh wee lassie." She smirked. "'i's practically legend now." She snickered at the thought. "'N ma birthday when ah was aboot fowr, ma parents and ah where travel'in across Scotland for eh wee trip when eh demon bear we call Mor'du stormed inta oor camp and nearly killed ma mither and ah. Ma dad saved us all." She explained, sitting beside Hiccup again, pulling off the fish that was on her arrow.

"Wow." Hiccup's eyebrows rose.

She spoke slowly after a thoughtful minute. "Whit about you?" She set the arrow back into her leather sheath.

Hiccup laughed under his breath. "Heh. It's… it's a long story." He muttered.

"Ah've gae all night." Merida shrugged and side glanced at Hiccup. Hiccup gave her a crooked grin, thinking of where to start.


	9. Chapter 8: Dark Reunion

Chapter 8: Dark Reunion

An eerie and terrifying silence echoed through the green forest as a tall, dark figure walked through the woods, cloaked in a deadly black cape. Not a single tweet called through the woods to break the silence as the dark stranger walked, her dark hood pulled over her head. The animals of the forest seemed to feel a sick, dark shadow that the stranger cast, unnatural it was. They ran away in fear and hid, sensing a terrifying power that could not be seen, but felt. A cool breeze flowed through the trees, shaking their delicate leaves. In the sky above, the bright sun blazed on the horizon and set behind a mountain to the west, casting dark, terrifying shadows on the forest below. The woman continued walking, unafraid of the oncoming night. Hours had passed since the woman had last rested, but she was determined to make this trip as short as possible. Twigs on the ground crunched underneath her feet as she trekked across the woods at a quick pace, unwilling to stop; However, Her pace quickly began to slow as she quickly grew tired. The woman had just stopped to take a short break when a loud rustling in a nearby bush caught her attention. She stood tall, her heart now racing in her chest. Abruptly, a massive white horse came charging from the bush, stopping just in front of her. The woman stumbled back, startled.

"Oh." The woman sighed after a moment, realizing there was no real threat. "A palace horse." She mumbled aloud to herself, recognizing the collar that wrapped around the horse's broad shoulders. The horse gave a disappointed whinny and sat on his hind legs. The woman's last phrase rang through her head and her thin eyebrows pulled together. Her large eyes widened in terror. "Where's your rider?" Worry pierced its way through her body and she abruptly turned around, glancing the way she came. "Rapunzel." She gasped under her breath and began running quickly. "Rapunzel!" She ran as fast as she could. She had only left hours ago, but if she ran the rest of the way back, she could make it back before the moon came up tonight. Her trip was now long forgotten; she had to get back to the tower. She had to know that her daughter was safe. The basket that hung from her arm bounced against her body with every stride she made, but she barely noticed. Night dawned on the forest, making the trees appear taller and much more frightening. An owl's occasional hoot filled the silence as a fog set in around the trees. The woman continued running, her legs seemed to never grow tired, even for as old as she looked.

As she ran, a wind formed and threw back her dark hood, revealing her raven black hair. Her maroon dress whipped behind her, beaten from the violent wind and her cape flowed effortlessly through the air. "Rapunzel!" She breathed as the massive rock wall came into view, just barely seen over the forest's trees. She scrambled through the fern wall and across the grass field to the brick tower just as the moon rose in the sky, lighting up the eerie scene below. She took a shaky breath before she called up. "Rapunzel, let down your hair!" Her voice echoed through the area, bouncing off the rock walls and into the tower above. Her heart began to race faster. There was no response. "Rapunzel?" She called again. No answer. She raced around the side of the tower, tearing up the vines that had climbed up the length of it. Without the vines in the way, a rock filled doorway appeared. She automatically began clawing at, freeing the rocks from the round doorway. The rocks broke free and she burst through the doorway, running up the hidden, spiraling staircase that traveled up the length of Rapunzel's tower. At the top, she broke through a piece of tile and climbed up into the living room area. "Rapunzel?"

She pushed herself off of the ground and began searching for her daughter. She checked Rapunzel's queen-sized canopy bed, the curtains on the windows, her wooden closet… everywhere. Shock began to sink in as she realized that Rapunzel was not here, in the tower, where she was supposed to be. "Rapunzel!" She gripped at her raven black hair, nearly pulling out several dark curls. She began to hyperventilate when a reflection in her eye caught her attention. Her hands slowly dropped to her sides and she walked over to the stairway, where the glare came from. She pried the wooden panel off of the first step and ripped a satchel from the hallow compartment inside. She reached into the bag and her hand grasped around a hard object. She pulled it out and gasped, dropping the object on to the tile floor, recoiling from it as if it were a rattlesnake. The crown lightly glimmered in the moon light. Rapunzel's mother quickly searched the bag for anything else and found a crumbled up piece of paper. She unfolded it and glared at the drawing on it. It was a wanted sign, complete with a drawing of the convict, name and reward. Hatred raced through her veins and she hissed in frustration.

She abruptly stood up and walked over to a wooden door nearby. With the twist of her wrist, she unlocked the door handle, key in her hand, and stepped into the pitch-black room where she used to sleep; back when Rapunzel was only a child and couldn't take care of herself in the tower, so she would stay there with her. As Rapunzel had grown, she was able to take care of herself more and her mother could leave for longer periods of time. She rushed through the dark room to the edge of her narrow queen-sized bed and to the wooden dresser that sat beside it. She searched through the drawers in the dresser until she found what she was looking for; a long, sharp, deadly dagger. She wielded the dagger in her hand, a dark look on her face. She walked out of her room, not bothering to lock the door shut again. She bent over, shoved the crown back into the satchel and draped the satchel over her shoulder. She had to find Rapunzel, before it was too late.

Rapunzel's mother rushed back down the stairwell. There was no point in running right now; she first had to figure out where Rapunzel had gone, where she was now and who she was with. She knew for sure Rapunzel would at least be traveling with the thief on the wanted sign. Would he hurt her? Would he change her mind about the world? Were there many people with her? Questions raced through her mind, imagining the worst. She pulled her hood over her head as she exited the tower, dagger in hand. She walked out of the cove and began to search the area for any signs of Rapunzel's escape. After a minute she found a set of tracks in mud. They weren't Rapunzel's, she never wore shoes, and these were a much bigger shoe size that even her mother's. It must have been the thieves. Her eyes narrowed and she followed the tracks. Every once in a while, she would make out the drag marks of what was presumably Rapunzel's hair.

For a while, Rapunzel's mother circled the area; following the trail of light footprints until she finally came across two pairs of tracks and something the frightened her even more than Rapunzel's sudden disappearance. In the forest ahead, a large, random tree appeared to be completely frozen, encased in several thick layers of ice. Nothing natural could have done this, not even a horrific blizzard in mid-winter. Her eyes widened in horror as scenarios began to run though her head. Had they come across someone else, some kind of creature; a super being or a sorcerer? A spirit, maybe? She began to grow deeply worried. Ice was an incredibly dangerous power, and a dark one, too; sure it could be used for wonder and joy, but it was deadly, unpredictable, and most of all, uncontrollable. Anxiety burning in her veins, she glanced around the frozen tree and noticed not two, but three sets of tracks, the third set surrounded by small patches of ice. However, as much as she wanted to continue to follow those tracks, she needed to rest. It was completely dark out and the moon had been covered by dark clouds. Tomorrow would be a long day of tracking and finding Rapunzel. She reluctantly sat down beside a nearby tree and quickly fell asleep, preparing for the next day.

The next morning, Rapunzel's mother woke up at the crack of dawn, rising with the sun. She was well rested and eager to get ahead while Rapunzel was hopefully still asleep somewhere in the forest. She quickly grabbed an apple from the wooden food basket that Rapunzel had given her before she left. She placed the sharp dagger in the basket, stood to her feet, eating the apple, and began following the tracks.

Hours had passed since Rapunzel's mother had begun tracking the small group and she still hadn't found them. How far away could Rapunzel have gotten? They clearly weren't taking a horse. How long did Rapunzel wait before she left the tower? Just after her? She was preoccupied with her thoughts when she ran straight into a tree's branch. "Agh." She groaned, holding a hand to her head. She glared at the soft-barked tree for a fraction of a second when a smell in the surrounding forest demanded her attention. She quickly recognized the strong scent and her hand dropped slowly to her side as she searched the trees for the source. After a minute, she found it. Almost completely hidden by several grouped trees, was a pile of ash and charcoal. Rapunzel's mother cautiously approached the fire pit, glancing around for people nearby, and examined the pit. She held her hand above the coals and realized it was still warm, as if it had just been put out. Her heart began to race with excitement.

She glanced around the camp, taking note of the disturbed dirt and dented grass where three people slept against the trees. She nodded to herself with content; she was closing in on them. She slowly backed out of the now abandoned camp and glanced around, searching for which way they had gone. However, something other than footprints caught her eye and she silently walked over to an adjacent tree. The grass around it was completely smashed and she could see strange markings in the mud around the area. Track marks? Whatever it was, it had large round feet that heavily dented in the ground and four talons, or was it claws? Three of the claws faced forward while the fourth strayed off to the side in an almost thumb-like way. She walked back to the tree and found a smaller dent in the grass where perhaps a fourth person had slept. Her eyes widened in horror.

Her heart began to race inside her chest. She had never wanted Rapunzel to be near anyone else, besides herself, of course; but a thief, an ice sorcerer and someone with a massive creature was definitely not what she wanted Rapunzel with. She needed to find Rapunzel before something awful happened to her. She stood straighter and quickly scanned the area for now five sets of tracks. It took no more time than a single heartbeat for her to find the trail. Her face grew cold, her jaw set. "I should have seen this coming." She grumbled to herself, following the footprints. "I never should have left." She added as she paused mid-stride just long enough to grab a black object on the forest floor. She flipped the object around in her hands as she continued walking. The object was about as big as her eye and a perfect circle. It was jet black, smooth surfaced, yet hard and unbreakable. She pondered to herself about what it was when she realized there were more objects scattered across the trail, following the beast's marks. Scales! That's what they were. The beast with Rapunzel must be some kind of black reptile. Rapunzel's mother grinned as she finally put the pieces together and shoved the black scale into the satchel that was strapped across her body.

About half an hour later, she caught sight of something in the distance and was nearly completely filled with glee at the glimpse of the last several feet of Rapunzel's long blonde hair in the forest ahead. She had found them. She quickly decided to slip off the side of the dirt road she was on and into the coverage of the trees. She followed to the right of the dirt road, going unseen, until she encountered a massive building in the middle of the forest. She quirked an eyebrow at the place, but continued towards it, knowing Rapunzel was in there.

She was only a few hundred feet away from the building when a noise off to her left caused her to freeze in place. She turned around in time to see a massive black creature lumber off into the woods opposite of her. The beast's scaled skin was the same jet black as the scale she picked up earlier. Her eyes widened dramatically once she realized that the beast wasn't just some random creature, but a stealthy dragon. Horror shot through her body like a deer trapped in a forest fire.

"C'mon bud!" A boy's voice echoed through the woods. She glanced around the forest, quickly spotting a frail, brown-haired boy who stood beside the creature. The dragon, walking on all fours, glanced up at the boy, cooed and sat on its hind legs, now towering over him. "You can't go in there." The boy spoke to the dragon. A 'harrumph' returned in reply.

Rapunzel's mother finally shook off her horror and quietly and quickly snuck through the woods, around the horses tied to posts at the front of the building. After a minute of silence, a sudden racket from inside the building sent the dragon boy running to the small front door, his prosthetic leg clicking against the gravel. Her eyebrows pulled up with worry at the sound and she quickly walked up to the building, searching for a window to look through. After a minute of searching, she found a closed one and pried it open in time to watch in horror as Rapunzel climbed up on a table and began to sing to the crowd around her. Rapunzel's mother also noticed the thief and the dragon boy in the building.

"I just want to see the floating lanterns gleam!" Her beautiful voice rang. "And with every passing hour, im so glad I left my tower!" She continued. Her mother's body grew stiff at the stab that was sent to her cold heart. She definitely should have never left Rapunzel alone in that tower. She was so suddenly caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the sound of a dozen men approaching the building, twigs snapping underneath their feet.

However, a sudden silence seeped into her thought process and she glanced up in time to hear the dragon nearby growl as she watched Rider, the thief on the wanted poster, pull on Rapunzel's arm. That's when Rapunzel's mother realized that palace guards had surrounded the building. "Where's Rider? Where is he?" A guard called. She took a step backwards, startled. Guards had flowed into the building, searching for the thief. She couldn't see Rapunzel anywhere. Where had she gone?

She began to worriedly search the building for her precious flower. However, a movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she hopefully glanced at the wooden wall on the left, noticing a large opening in it. A small glimpse of long blonde hair sent her heart racing with glee. Rapunzel was taking a secret passage! She was leaving this horrible place and escaping the guards… with the thief. She frowned again.

Rapunzel's mother began to think hard about where the passage ends when the dragon boy scrambled out of the snuggly duckling and sprinted across the area to his dragon in the surrounding forest. He set a few gears on the dragon's saddle and mounted the creature. She watched in awe as the beast crouched to the ground, pushed off and launched itself through the trees and into the sky. After a minute, she thought about what she was going to do when her thoughts were interrupted for a second time by a short man who walked out the front door of the Snuggly Duckling singing dazedly. "I got a dream, I got some dreams, I-" He stopped singing at the sight of her. She placed a closed fist on her left hip in annoyance. "Oooooh, somebody get me a glass, 'cause I just found me a tall drink of _water._" He leaned against the door panel.

She placed a hand across her chest in a flirtatious way. "Oh, stop you big lug." She chuckled before her face dropped and she pulled out her deadly dagger, driving the sharp point into his large, red nose. "Where's that tunnel led out?" She demanded.

"Knife!" He froze in shock. 

"I said: Where's that tunnel led out?" She demanded again when he didn't respond, driving the dagger further into his round nose.

The sudden pain brought him back to his senses. "Uh… uh, uh…" He stuttered. "T-the t-tunnel lets out southwest of here, p-past the dam!" He rushed the words.

Her eyes narrowed in a smug kind of way and her back straightened, the dagger's sharp tip releasing the short man. He quickly scrambled back into the snuggly duckling, fearing his life. She slowly placed the dagger back in the food basket and pulled the maroon hood over her curly black hair. She began walking, in a sudden hurry to catch up with Rapunzel and her strange group.

An hour later, she finally found the tunnel's exit. It was in the hallow of a wide tree and had a hatch in the ground, baring the Snuggly Duckling symbol. She quietly passed several large boulders, pulling out the dagger once more. If she caught the group here, she would take out as many of them as she could. She was almost to the hatch when a bunch of coughing from inside sent her fleeing behind the boulders. From behind the boulders, she watched two large men emerge from the hatch. They were built strong and wore black and blue clothes. They had ginger-red hair, bushy sideburns, long, pointed chins; thick, crooked noses; bushy red eyebrows, scars across their faces and one had a black eye patch. They were completely soaked with water and were uncontrollably coughing.

The first one bent over in exhaustion, letting the water drip off his long face. "I'll kill 'im. I'll kill that Rider!" This caught her attention.

The second one stood. "We'll cut him off at the kingdom and get the crown. C'mon!" They began walking in the opposite direction. It took her only a split second to connect the dots. She needed those men on her side.

"Boys!" She called in her tenor sing-song voice. The men halted in their tracks and turned to find her standing on the boulders. "Perhaps you want to stop acting like wild dogs chasing their tails and think for a moment." She continued in her sing song voice and held up the satchel. Shock crossed their faces and they drew their swords, prepared to fight for the crown inside. "Oh-ho, please, there's no need for that." She tossed the satchel down to them. The two men fought over the satchel for a moment before they both tore open the top flap, finding the crown inside.

"Well, if that's all that you desire then be on your way. I was going to offer you something worth one thousand crowns, would have made you rich beyond belief and that wasn't even the best part, hoho, oh well, C'est la vie. Enjoy your _crown!_" She took a step as if to go.

"What's the best part?" The second one asked in a child-like voice.

"It comes with revenge on Flynn Rider." She turned around with the wanted poster of Rider in her hands. The men grinned evilly at each other.

"You have our attention, ma' 'am." The first man stepped forward, showing he was all 'ears'.

"Oh, please, call me Mother Gothel." She steadily slid down the boulders to stand in front of him.

"Pleased to meet you, Gothel. I'm Prince Damien Stabbington Westergard of the Southern Isles, and this is my twin brother Derek." The first man shook her small hand.

Derek stepped forward, a thoughtful look on his long face. "You clearly know our business with Rider; mind I ask, what has he done to you?" Straight-forward; she liked that.

Gothel gave a shy smile. "He kidnapped a child that I stole." The Stabbington brothers glanced at each other, understanding what it was like to have something you stole stolen from you. However, they had seen a girl at the dam with Rider, but who knows if they had survived the dam bursting.

"You mean the long, blonde-haired girl that was with Rider at the dam?" Damien responded. Gothel nodded in reply. "I take it you don't know that the dam burst?"

Shock pierced its way through her. "What?!" She knew exactly what he was implying. Rapunzel could be dead. "How?"

"A stupid palace horse knocked over a supporting beam. The entire canyon filled with water." Damien informed her. She nodded thoughtfully, that explained why they were soaked.

Derek stepped forward. "We should probably start searching for Rider and the girl; if they survived the dam, they have a huge start."

"They couldn't be too far from the dam," Gothel spoke, hopeful. "Night is upon us, they'll have to set up camp." The brothers nodded in agreement.

"They were headed North-West before the water hit them, I think they may have taken a passage to a nearby river." Derek added.

Gothel straightened. "They'll most likely be there. Let's find the river and follow it."

The trio automatically began walking north-west in the direction of the Corona River. With their quick paces, they found the wide river moments later and followed the length of it; until a frightening noise echoed through the forest, halting them in their tracks.

"What. Was. That?" Derek asked.

"That, boys, was a dragon." Gothel responded with determination in her voice, unafraid of a fire breathing reptile. A deadly silence shot across the forest as a human-like scream echoed around them, followed by another deafening roar.

"A…Dragon?" Damien replied in disbelief. "I thought they were only legends."

She shook her head grimly. "Not anymore." The brothers slowly drew their swords. "Let's keep going; we're almost there."

"How do you know?" The brothers asked simultaneously.

"Because the owner of that dragon is with Rider and the girl. Trust me, I've been tracking them for a day and a half." She informed them.

The Stabbington brothers grew silent, unsure of what to think or how to reply. The roars and human-like screams continued to echo through the forest as the trio continued to trek through the trees, growing louder as they drew closer. However, as they continued trekking, a minute later, a high-pitched scream sent a hair-raising shiver down the Stabbington brothers' backs and they halted in place, swords swaying in their unsteady hands.

"Exactly how big is that dragon?" Derek asked, losing his cool.

Gothel stopped and turned to face him, annoyance breaking though her poker face. "It's only about as long as the trees are tall, but stands about four feet off the ground. We could easily take it down if we needed to." She responded.

Derek relaxed a little, relieved that it wasn't nearly as big as he thought. With their fears put to rest for now, they began to walking with silence between them. There was one last solitary roar before an eerie silence echoed through the never ending forest. Damien glanced around cautiously, uncomfortable with the silence; before he caught sight of something off in the distance. "Look!" He pointed in its direction. Not far off the river's shore ahead was the faint orange glow of a campfire. She grinned. They'd found them.

The trio slowly snuck into the tree line, out of sight. They grew as silent as the forest was, taking careful steps in an attempt to go unheard and they crouched to the ground as they drew closer, stopping only a few paces before the camp. Gothel hid behind several thick bushes, soon followed by the Stabbington brothers, and they peered down at the group in the camp below. Mother Gothel was surprised to find only Rapunzel and Rider. Rider squatted beside the campfire, tweaking the wood in certain places; meanwhile, Rapunzel stood nearby, ringing out her long wet hair.

Once Rapunzel had finished drying out her hair, she softly spoke, glancing into the woods ahead of her. "I hope they are alright; they've been gone for a while." She began to pace around the area, keeping her distance from the fire to protect her hair.

Rider glanced up from the blazing fire and at her, slowly standing to his feet. "I'm sure they are alright," He thought for a moment. "Tell ya what, If they aren't back in ten minutes, then we'll go search for them; okay?"

Rapunzel relaxed a little, the tension leaving her body, and she lightly sat on a large nearby tree's root, staring into the fire to calm herself more. "Okay." She replied. Rider silently sat on her right side on the root and gripped at his hand, glancing into the forest for any sight of their missing group members.

Gothel's narrow eyebrows furrowed together in frustration. It pained her to see Rapunzel getting along with Rider so easily. Damien glanced down at her, a questioning look on his long face and he motioned toward the camp with a nod. Her face hardened and she lightly shook her head in response. If they took them now, they could be caught by the missing group members. It took him a minute to realize why she had told him 'no'.

A sudden high-pitched noise broke Gothel's concentration and she glanced up in time to watch the black dragon dive out of the darkening sky and land lightly on all fours beside the fire. Rapunzel and Rider lurched to their feet, startled. Derek staggered a step back in surprise.

"Hiccup!" Rapunzel gasped. "Where's Jack?" She rushed over to the beast as its owner dismounted the creature, greeting her. The dragon had an expression that could only be described as ashamed.

"He's fine. But there's something I need to tell you guys; we may have a new group member." The dragon boy responded as his dragon gave Rapunzel a gummy smile.

Rapunzel gasped contently. "Really?!"

Gothel felt the blood drain from her face and her body tensed with anger. Another group member meant it was only going to become harder to retrieve Rapunzel and take out Rider.

Damien scowled underneath his breath. "We should had seized them when we got here, now we'll all have to wait until they are all asleep." Gothel gave a slow nod, thinking of ways to separate them from the group. However, after coming up with nothing, she could only hope that they would go to sleep soon; she could not risk having Rapunzel in the outside world another day.

The dragon boy nodded eagerly, a smile lighting up his pale face. "I think you guys will like her." Gothel was a t least relieved that this new group member was not another man. Three men to one girl were enough as it was, but four was way too many. "They should be here any minute." The boy added. Rapunzel nodded thoughtfully and sat back down on the root. The boy sat on her other side as his dragon lay down on the grass adjacent to him. However, the dragon turned its head to the fire, glancing at its dying flames. The tired creature cracked up its jaws just wide enough to shoot out a small fireball into the dying camp fire, setting it ablaze once more. Satisfied, the dragon lowered its head onto its front legs and waited patiently.

In the distance, Gothel could make out the sound of what seemed like rolling thunder; however, she knew it wasn't. There hadn't been a single cloud in the sky that day, let alone a thunderstorm. There could only be one explanation for the sound; if it wasn't a storm, it was a horse and most likely a powerful one by the deep thundering sound it made.

After a slow minute, the sound began to grow louder and Gothel's heart began to race in horror. It sounded too loud to be just one horse. Was it palace guards? Finally, the sound gradually slowed until it could barely be heard in the surrounding forest, no louder than a snap; a single click was heard every few seconds. A deep whinny echoed through the trees. In the corner of her eye, Gothel could see Rider stiffen up. From behind the bushes, Gothel remained silent and wearily watched as two people emerged from the dense forest. Her suspicions were confirmed when a massive black horse with white stockings emerged behind the two people, led by the reigns that were strapped to its enormous head. Gothel nodded to herself, glad it wasn't palace guards. Damien let out a slow breath.

Gothel peered down at the group, silent as a hawk. Rapunzel glanced up as the pair entered the camp, a smile lighting up her beautiful face. The dragon's head shot up and it gave them a gummy smile. The new member, a girl with wild red hair and bow and arrows strapped to her waist, laughed at the beast.

"Took you long enough." The dragon boy teased, standing to his feet.

The girl glanced up at him, a light smile fighting its way on to her lips. "Aye, Angus may be eh faest horse, bu' 'e esna as faest as yer dragon." She shrugged, her Scottish accent ringing through the camp. Her horse neighed and she patted his nose. "Easy laddie."

The dragon boy gestured to Rapunzel and Rider. "Merida, these are our friends," Gothel tensed at the word. "Rapunzel and Fly-er, Eugene." Gothel's eyebrows pulled together and she glanced wildly at Damien, who glanced at Derek. Derek shrugged, just as bewildered as they were.

"Punzie, you didn't fix his hand?" A boy asked from the other side of the camp fire, his strange white hair gleaming in the light. Gothel felt the blood drain from her face once more. Rapunzel had shown her powers.

"Huh? Oh. No, I forgot." Rapunzel replied.

"What?" Rider looked up.

"It doesn't just glow, remember?" She responded, holding up a strand of hair.

Behind Gothel, Damien and Derek glanced at each other; dark smiled forming on their long faces. This girl had a talent like no other. A talent worth more than revenge on Flynn rider, worth more than the crown. They could be the richest princes in the land. They could prove their parents wrong about them, finally after all these awful years! Damien nodded and they slowly turned their heads to face the camp. They needed the one called Rapunzel.

"Just don't… Don't freak out." Rapunzel quietly spoke, apprehensive. She glanced around the group, making sure they wouldn't freak out, too. She slowly sat up, closed her green eyes and began to sing a short song. "Flower gleam and glow." Her blonde hair began to glow a brilliant gold at the roots, looking just about as warm as the nearby fire. "Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse; bring back what once was mine." The glow spread down the length of her hair. "Heal what has been hurt, change the fates design. Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine, what once was mine." The brilliant glow quickly receded from her hair and she cracked open her green eyes, glancing at the group around her.

Damien and Derek glanced at each other. Her hair glowed, but did it really heal? They squinted back at the camp to get a better look as Rider unwound the hair around his hand. They grinned at each other when they saw the healed wound, now fresh, perfect skin; like nothing had ever happened. However, Rider was completely losing his cool and nearly shouted out in shock, but Rapunzel stopped him by saying "Don't freak out!"

Rider began to talk very quickly and rocked himself back and forth, fighting his oncoming melt down. "How long has it been doing that exactly?" Was all they could make out.

Gothel tensed, preparing herself for the answer. "Uh, forever I guess." Rapunzel began, sighing. Her face slowly grew serious. "When I was a baby, people tried to cut it. They wanted it for themselves. But, once it's cut," She pulled back her blonde hair, revealing a very short strand of brown hair. "It turns brown and loses its power. A gift like that," She explained, stroking a piece of hair. "It has to be protected." She paused. "That's why I never left the-" She cut off, unable to finish.

"-You never left that tower." Rider finished her sentence, finally understanding. After a short pause, he asked. "And you're still going back?"

"No!" Rapunzel spoke abruptly before her face became torn and she added. "Yes. Ugh. It's complicated." She hid her face in her hands. By now, Mother Gothel's blood had run cold. Sudden hatred sent her heart racing and her eyebrows pulled together, her lips forming a narrow line. Not only had Rapunzel disobeyed her orders and left her tower, she had now shown both her powers and her weakness. Gothel should have grabbed her before it was too late; now Rapunzel will not voluntarily return to the tower, not unless something happens to her. Gothel straightened at the thought.

However, just as a plan began forming in her head, Derek interrupted Gothel's concentration. "Look! They're leaving." He pointed out the new girl and the dragon boy, dragon at his side, as they left the camp, heading down the river. The trio glanced down as the other boy with white hair, outdated brown clothes and an awkward walking stick, stood and spoke to Rider and Rapunzel.

"I'm going to get some sleep. You guys should, too; it could be a long day tomorrow." He spoke. Damien and Derek straightened.

"Alright." Rapunzel bid him good-night. Gothel watched the boy grip his staff and walk over to an adjacent tree, where he sat and fell asleep. After a moment, Rider rose to his feet, clearing his throat.

"Ahem. Well, I should, um… I, I should… I should get some more firewood." He informed Rapunzel, who dismissed him with a nod. He turned to leave and began walking into the forest.

Gothel abruptly turned around and faced the Stabbington brothers, a plan completely formed in her head. The brothers started, caught off guard by the sudden movement. "I have a plan." She spoke. They quirked their eyebrows, almost in a 'this better be good' manner. "I am going to go down there and convince Rapunzel to come with me, when Rider returns and realizes that she's gone, he will look for her because he wants the satchel. We can grab him then." The Stabbington brothers glanced at each other and nodded, agreeing with her plan; even though they had their own.

Gothel silently crouched to the ground and walked down the small hill to the camp below. Once she was out of hearing range, Derek turned to Damien and spoke in a low voice. "How are we going to get the girl?" Damien's thick eyebrows pulled together and he thought hard. Derek glanced back at the camp ground in time to see Gothel appear behind Rapunzel.

"Well! I'd thought they'd never leave!" She broke the silence.

Rapunzel turned around, startled. "Mother?!" Her eyes widened.

"Hello dear." Gothel replied, pushing back the hood that concealed her rapidly greying hair.

Gothel approached Rapunzel and hugged her in an unbreathable hug. Rapunzel stuttered. "But I, I, I, I don't, uh… how did you find me?" She took on her mother's sunken eyes and fallen cheeks, which showed signs of rapid aging. She looked twenty years older.

"Oh, it was easy really. I just listened to the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that."

"Mother-"

"We're going home, Rapunzel. _Now._"

Damien and Derek glanced at each other, a hint of a smile on their long faces. They knew exactly what Rapunzel's response would be. They didn't have to hear the phrase to know that Gothel had lost the girl; it would take a miracle to force the girl back home. "No!" The atmosphere around them changed. The forest grew unnaturally dark and a bitter wind made itself known. A fog set in and peering through the forest became impossible. This, this was Gothel's response. The twins automatically concluded that she was a witch and not the good kind either.

"No? Oh." Gothel's face grew dark. "I see how it is. Rapunzel knows best. Rapunzel's so mature now. Such a clever grown up miss. Rapunzel knows best. Fine, if you're so sure now; go ahead and give him this!" She tossed the crown and satchel to Rapunzel. After a minute, Gothel finished off with a dramatic exit. "If he's lying, don't come crying! Mother knows best!" She wrapped herself in her dark cloak and vanished into thin air.

Damien and Derek glanced around, shocked. Where had she gone? Damien suddenly had an idea about how to get the girl. "Act like we didn't see what just happened." He ordered his brother. "Pretend we are still after Rider." Derek nodded unquestioningly. A few seconds later, a sound came from behind them and they whirled around, swords drawn in anticipation.

Before them, Gothel stood, cloaked in her dark cape, fury revealing itself in every inch of her. However, she appeared to be oblivious to their presence. Hostile frustration raced its way through her veins. The Stabbington brothers watched in fascination as several strands of her raven black hair abruptly faded to a light grey. She was aging rapidly. That's when they realized why she needed the girl. She had been using her to stay young; without the girl, she would die within days. The brothers' grim expressions reflected her own, just another part of their act.

"Where's Rider?" Damien spoke, breaking her train of thought.

"I'm working on it." She scowled up at him. The twins' faces grew tighter and their eyes narrowed.

"What could possibly be so complicated?" Derek stepped forward, towering over her.

Gothel took a bewildered step back, keeping her distance. "Remember, it's not just about Rider; I am after the girl, too." She reminded them. The brothers glanced at each other, slight irritation making itself known.

"Then let's just charge in on their camp and take them." Damien replied with a stern tone.

"We can't!" Gothel responded, frustration building up in her tenor voice. The brothers quirked an eyebrow. "There are others nearby, they would hear the commotion."

Damien scowled in frustration. Derek began to silently pace. Gothel smirked, trying to come up with a new plan. She approached an adjacent tree and glowered down at the camp below. An unnatural darkness loomed in the air around the trio and she silently thought to herself. The Stabbington brothers shifted uncomfortably.

Gothel's eyebrows pulled together upon catching sight of the other boy at the camp. Before, she hadn't even bothered to question his dark white hair. But now, as she stood above the camp, she realized it was odd for a boy his age to have hair that color and she glanced over him as he slept against a tree. She noted his extremely outdated clothes, his bare feet and his staff, which had an almost clear white part around the center of it. Her lips formed a rigid line. No... Not a boy. She began putting two and two together. She slowly began to pace. The style of clothes he wore had not been seen in Corona since the time of exploration began, which was decades ago. The simple clothes followed the conquistadors to the new land where they stayed. This boy was either from a different time period, or the new land.

Strangely, the boy wore no shoes. Perhaps he was a nomad? She glanced back at his staff, looking at the clear stuff on it. It wasn't clear, white stuff; it was covered in ice! Ice! No, not a boy. A spirit!

"Come on, let's grab Rider; I'm tired of waiting!" Damien stepped forward, breaking her train of thought.

Gothel's arm shot out, halting the brothers in their tracks. "Patience boys. Good things come to those who wait." She finally knew what she had to do. "Follow me." She abruptly turned around and headed in the opposite direction of the camp. The twins quirked an eyebrow. "Come, come." She urged them over her shoulder. They hesitantly followed. There were few spirits in the world, let alone a spirit with ice powers. It took her less than a minute to put a name to that spirit. Gothel continued walking further into the forest. They must have traveled almost a mile into the gloomy forest when she abruptly stopped and turned to face the brothers; however, before they could even utter a word, Gothel knelt to the ground, pulling objects out of her cloak's hidden pockets. She quickly placed a wrinkled piece of paper on the forest floor and painted a single red dot in the center of it, with the help of paint jar that was in one of her pockets. She surrounded the paper with five candles and lit them. Finally, she took a single sewing needle and threaded it with red wool.

"What are you doing?!" Derek broke the eerie silence.

Gothel glanced up. "I must summon a spirit."

The brothers stepped back in shock. "Why?!" Damien demanded. They officially thought she had lost it now. Or was she just that desperate?

"Only a spirit can dispose of another spirit." She responded. "Silence." She ordered and held up the red wool, dangling the needle over the red dot on the paper. She closed her eyes and began rotating the needle clockwise. "I call upon the spirit of Pitch Black." She spoke clearly. An abrupt, howling wind broke through the trees, chilling the brothers to the bone. It blew around them in a tight circle, almost forming a portal. "I call upon the spirit of Pitch Black." She repeated. The five lit candles blew out, leaving them in a horrifying, unnatural darkness. Fog filled the surrounding trees. "I call upon the spirit of Pitch Black." She repeated one last time.

Like thunder, a sound ripped through the area and the needle in Gothel's hand stopped moving. Her wide eyes flashed open and she dropped the object, scrambling to her feet. She staggered back as a black fog appeared above the piece of paper, growing in size until it built up into an almost cylindrical form that was seven feet tall. The Stabbington brothers drew their swords. The wind slowly died down and the fog ascended from the trees.

"Who dares summon me like a dog?!" A low, ragged voice growled as a dark form rose off the ground, stepping out of the ascending fog. Gothel slowly bowed, her arms spread out from her side in a respective kind of way. Her head bowed as well.

"Pitch." She breathed, slowly standing up again. "Old friend, I would not dare summon you, unless in great need."

The spirit peered down at her. He was an extremely tall man, towering over the trio at a staggering seven feet. He would be hard to miss. His face was unlike any other. It was narrow and long. He had sharp cheekbones and a long, round chin. He had thin black lips; grey, jagged teeth; an anchor-shaped nose, and narrow eyes. His wide irises shown a brilliant gold; and dark shadows hid most of his long face. He had no eyebrows and his raven black hair was uneven and brushed up and back. His ears were funky shaped and he had a long, wide neck. He had broad shoulders, thin arms; thin, long legs, and a lean torso. He wore a long black robe that appeared to be made of some thick material. It's sleeves went down to his thin wrists and the bottom of the robe dragged along the ground behind him. Beneath his jet black robe, his legs were concealed by black tights-like pants. At the end of his thin wrists were long, paper thin hands. His skin was a deathly grey.

"Ah," His low, ragged voice echoed through the surrounding forest. "You know, Gothel, I'm almost disappointed you didn't summon me because you missed me." He chuckled darkly.

Gothel gave him a teasing, seductive smile. "You could have come to visit me on your own." She placed a hand on her hip as he slowly stalked toward her, his golden eyes glinting in the darkness. Derek glanced at Damien, giving him a 'gag' look. Damien chuckled under his breath.

"I was busy these past couple of years." His cold voice sent shivers down the twins' spines. "Though I do have to say, you've looked better. Did something happen to your precious flower-child?" He took a minute to glance down the length of her rapidly aging body.

"That child grew up and ran away from home." She replied bitterly.

"I warned you that that child would be trouble." He crossed his arms teasingly.

"Don't get me started." She grumbled under her breath. "You look awful as well, what happened to you?" She motioned to the bags under his bright eyes and the way his tall form looked so crippled, so frail.

Pitch ground his crooked teeth together. "I lost the war against the guardians." Gothel clucked her tongue. There was a slight pause. "Tell me you didn't summon me here just because you lost the girl." He quickly changed the subject.

Gothel quirked an eyebrow at the sudden subject change, but answered. "Actually, no. I already know where she is; but I've run into a slight problem." She nodded to the Stabbington brothers. "Boys, lead the way." The brothers quickly led the way, eager to get this over with.

"A problem?" Pitch asked, quickly catching up with Gothel. "Gothel, what could possibly be stumping you?" He added, walking beside her.

"It's hard to explain," She began. "But my flower seems to have made a whole bunch of new friends in the short time she's been gone." Gothel paused, waiting for some kind of reaction from him. When he didn't react, she added. "Rather unusual friends, and I need help disposing of them. She's befriended a thief, a dragon rider, and an archer." Pitch walked beside her with his head slightly bowed in thought, his arms crossed at the wrists behind his back. The skin where his eyebrows would be, reckon he had any, pulled together. As they drew closer to the camp, Gothel continued in a low voice. "And one of them is a spirit; from the future."

That single phrase caught his attention in a heartbeat. His head shot up, his bright golden eyes sparking with hatred. "A spirit?" His hollow voice sent a shiver down Gothel's spine. When she didn't answer, Pitch thought to himself, contemplating. For hundreds of years, he had thought that he was the only spirit who could travel through time; but apparently he was wrong. Who could it be? He shook his head in denial. It must be sandman, Pitch concluded; after all, he had similar powers to Pitch, surely he could travel through light, just as Pitch could travel through shadows. The only other way to travel in time was if you were summoned. Or was there another way?

Ahead of the pair, the Stabbington brothers stopped and wearily glanced back at them. Gothel glanced up at Pitch, who stared down at her, and nodded, telling him that they were here.

Pitch let out an almost inaudible sigh and glanced away from Gothel and past the brothers. The faint glow of a campfire ahead caught his attention and he slowly stalked forward, hidden by darkness. Gothel followed in his shadow, standing by his side, at a distance, that is; she prepared for what was next, what would his reaction be?

He scanned the relatively large camp below, taking in its inhabitants. It took him no longer than a split second to recognize Gothel's flower-child; however, he didn't know the other three. One was a tall man who slept with his head propped up on a rock; another was a short, lanky boy who sat, leaning against a large black dragon, and the third was a girl with wild red hair that tended to her massive black horse. After a minute of glancing around, Pitch nearly turned to Gothel to ask which one was the spirit when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Pitch held his breath in anticipation as his head turned to get a better glimpse of the flash of white that had caught his attention. It was then, that he knew. On the edge of the camp, a person laid against a tree, his white hair peeking out. No, not just a spirit, a guardian. The guardian he despised most. _Jack Frost. _

Pitch's face grew hard as a bone chilling darkness filled the forest. His bright golden eyes sparked in fury, like a raging fire. Hatred raced through his black veins and his crooked, grey teeth ground together. His grey hands clinched into bone-white fists. "Frost?!" A snarl broke through his ground teeth, echoing through the forest. The horse below whinnied in horror. He turned to face Gothel. "How did Frost get here?!"

Mother Gothel staggered back a step, surprised by his reaction. "I… I-I… I don't know." She stuttered. "Rapunzel couldn't have possible summoned him and the only spirit I summon is you! Besides, I'm the only witch within a hundred miles!"

Pitch gave a slow nod, understanding. Frost couldn't have gotten here through a witch. He began to pace around the small area. He calmed down after a slow minute and faced Gothel once more. "Frost is the reason I lost the war against the guardians. It was only a year ago, just before he became a guardian. At full strength, I had attacked the guardians, but underestimated Frost. A mistake that cost me everything." He paused. "Only a surprise attack can take out Frost, but I still haven't gained full strength." Gothel nodded thoughtfully, and began pacing once more.

There was a long silence that enveloped the group as they began to think about the situation they were in. The Westergard brothers contemplated how they were going to get Rapunzel. They now knew that Pitch would conserve all of his energy to save it for the inevitable attack on Frost, so he wouldn't help them, nor stop them. Their main problem was Gothel. They didn't even have to ask to know that she would do anything to get Rapunzel back, even if it required murder. They would either have to trick her or split from the group, grab Rapunzel and run until they could not be found. Perhaps flee to the Southern Isles.

Pitch, on the other hand, wasn't concentrating on Frost at all. In fact, he was actually doing what he did best, listening to fear. He didn't have to read minds to know what everyone was thinking, he could tell by their fears. The Stabbington brothers feared being caught by Gothel. He automatically concluded that they were going behind Gothel's back about something. Gothel feared she would never get Rapunzel back in time; she feared death.

Pitch's back straightened and he silently stepped forward, peering down at the camp below. He glanced at a sleeping Rapunzel and 'read' that her fear was never seeing the floating lanterns and having to return to her isolated tower. He glanced at the man adjacent to her and read that he feared others knowing his real identity, and being caught for his crimes. Surely he was the thief. He continued glancing around the camp. The girl with wild red hair feared being forced to marry and return home. The dragon boy feared never being good enough and being forever alone. And finally, Jack. Jack feared losing his friends and fighting against Pitch. Pitch smirked smugly.

Gothel had a lot on her mind, but she decided to voice it, mainly to Pitch; who would surely understand. "I'm… I'm not sure if this applies to our situation, but years ago, I once heard a prophecy. At the time, I didn't pay much attention to it; but I've now connected a few phrases."

This caught Pitch's attention and he silently walked over to her. "What was it?"

Gothel breathed. "A flash of white, a crack in the ice. A dark monster awakes. Four worlds collide, a pair of star-crossed lovers; a seven year bloodshed. A sorely won victory. Four will fall. Six will rise."

Pitch bowed his head in thought and slowly spoke. "A flash of white symbolizes the birth of a spirit. The flash comes from the moon, who chooses who becomes a spirit and who becomes a guardian. I can only assume the crack in the ice symbolizes Frost's place of birth as a spirit, he drowned in a frozen lake when he saved his little sister from the same fate." He thought hard for a long moment. "A dark monster awakes must mean me and how you summoned me out of my dark state." He broke down the prophecy.

"Dreams come true. That must be referring to Rapunzel's dreams of seeing the floating lanterns in two days." Gothel added.

"I think only time will tell the rest, it seems to move in chronological order. We still have to find out the rest: 'A pair of star-crossed lovers. A seven bloodshed, a sorely won victory. Four will fall. Six will rise.'" Pitch finished. Gothel nodded thoughtfully. The Westergard brothers glanced at each other. They would have to split from the group soon if they wanted to take the girl and still have their heads.

"What are we going to do about Rapunzel and Frost?" Gothel spoke after several silent minutes.

Pitch's golden eyes sparked in the darkness as the eerie blackness made it nearly impossible to see. He was regaining his strength, finally, after all this time. "I have an idea." A chilling wind blew through the forest.


	10. Chapter 9: Floating Lanterns

Chapter 9: Floating Lanterns

A cool morning breeze awoke Jack the next day, blowing his hair out of his face. When he came to, he could feel the hard ground beneath his body, the dew covered grass soaking his ragged brown cape. Jack breathed in slowly and sighed, cracking open his blue eyes. His eyes slowly glanced around. Above him, the surrounding trees' branches swayed lightly in the breeze, their decorative, vibrant green leaves and budding purple flowers shaking with the slightest wind. Through those, he glanced up at the grey morning sky, still too early for the sun to rise.

_Jack. _He heard the moon call to him. He slowly glanced up at the full moon, but didn't respond. After a minute, the moon continued. _Corona isn't too far from camp, take the day to get to know your new friends; you will get there tomorrow. _Was all the moon said. Jack nodded and closed his eyes again, listening to the tweeting birds in the trees above. He sighed once more and slowly sat up, leaning against the adjacent tree's trunk. For a while, he listened to the nearby river, its tranquil water running down the length of it.

Eventually, the sun began to rise, lighting up the grey sky. With a wide smile, Jack rose to his feet. He climbed up the tree's trunk in an almost monkey-like way and crouched down on a branch twenty feet above the ground. He peered through the branches. The few clouds in the morning sky turned light shades of pink, yellow and orange. Rays of sunlight peered over the trees and warmed Jack's cold face. He closed his eyes for a minute, soaking up the sun. Jack continued to perch on the tree's branch, watching as the sun broke through the tree line and the grey sky turned blue.

After several content minutes, Jack leapt down from the tree, landing on the balls of his feet. He grabbed his staff from the tree where he left it the previous night and leaned against it as he glanced around the camp. He was amused to find Eugene sleeping with his head propped up on a rock, his hands in a fake-princess-sleeping position under one of his cheeks. Rapunzel slept entirely wrapped up in her blonde hair, Pascal snuggled up on her wrapped shoulder. On the other side of the camp, Hiccup and Merida slept back-to-back on the grass. Toothless laid beside Hiccup, his long tail wrapped around the pair. Merida slept with her head propped up on a pillow formed by her wild hair and her right hand wrapped around the handle of her bow, her sheath still strapped around her waist. Jack laughed lightly under his breath. Perhaps Merida had been on her own for quite a while; she must be so used to sleeping with her weapons still strapped on, since she had traveled alone.

Hiccup, on the other hand, slept on his left side, and curled up in a tight ball. Jack then noticed that the sun brought out Hiccup's freckles and the red in his brown hair. Jack shrugged, feeling like he should have noticed that before. Jack glanced around and finally found Merida's horse at the edge of the camp. Angus stood by a tree, his long reigns tied loosely in a knot around a branch. Angus' head was lowered to the ground and his large, round eyes were closed.

After an hour or two, and the sun had rose higher in the sky, Rapunzel slowly woke up to the bright sun and climbed out of her 'hair-blanket', Pascal still on her shoulder. She glanced around the camp, taking in her surroundings. She immediately remembered where she was. She saw Eugene, Hiccup and Merida, but it took her a while to find Jack. He wasn't where he had fallen asleep last night. Rapunzel stood and quietly sighed, finally seeing him. Jack sat on the shore of the river, back to the camp. Rapunzel silently approached him. As she drew close, he could see that Jack sat with his legs extended forward, knees bent and his arms were wrapped around his knees. He stared silently into the running river, his staff laid on the ground on his right.

Rapunzel placed her right hand on his left shoulder. "Hey." She spoke.

Jack started and glanced up. Rapunzel sat beside him, a teasing smile on her beautiful face. "Oh, hey. You scared me there." Rapunzel snickered.

"Sorry." She ran a hand through her long blonde hair. "How long have you been up?" Jack relaxed once more. "A couple of hours." He shrugged.

"Oh. Why'd you get up so early?" She glanced over at him.

Jack lightly sighed. "I don't even know. I just kind of…. Woke up." He shrugged again. "Eh, it's alright, it gives me time to think."

"About what?" Rapunzel wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Well, mainly how we are going to get to Corona. After yesterday, we got all turned around, but I guess we are pretty close; so we could do anything we want today and still get there tomorrow." Jack explained.

Rapunzel nodded. "Oh, okay." She smiled. After a short, silent minute, she spoke again, changing the subject. "How'd you sleep?"

Jack thought for a minute. "Alright, I guess, I tossed and turned a little bit, but that's about it."

"Ah, same here. Though, for me it's really hard getting used to sleeping on the semi-hard ground; it's no queen bed, that's for sure." She sniggered under her breath. Jack flashed a white smile; although, he wouldn't know, he hadn't slept in any kind of bed in more than 300 years.

A sound came from behind the pair and they glanced over their shoulders to find Toothless clumsily standing to his feet. The large dragon stood with his long , black forelegs stretched in front of him on the ground; while his back legs pushed upwards, raising his narrow hips, tail dragging on the ground. His bat-like wings folded at his sides as his curved black claws dug into the soft soil. This positioned reminded Jack of a stretching cat or dog.

"Good morning Toothless!" Rapunzel lightly giggled. Hearing his name, Toothless lurched up to his feet, his eyes adorably round. His split tongue flopped out the side of his gummy mouth and he contently walked over to the two, giving Rapunzel a slobbery lick up her right cheek. "Eek!" Jack sniggered. "Toothless, that's gross!" She closed her right eye, slowly whipping away the thick slobber.

"You know that doesn't wash out, right?" A voice casually spoke behind them. Rapunzel slowly turned to see Hiccup leisurely sitting by a still sleeping Merida. The morning sun brought out his green eyes as well. Rapunzel made a face; this was her only dress. It would take forever to make a new one. She finished wiping off the rest of Toothless' slobber and quietly got up, walking over to the river. She tempted to wash as much of it out as she could.

Toothless lumbered back up the river's shore and sat beside Hiccup, tongue hanging out of his gummy mouth. Jack steadily rose to his feet, grabbing his staff, and walked over to the Viking. He sat beside the boy and set his staff back on the ground. "Well, I'm sorry if we woke you up." He spoke over the quiet river.

Hiccup shook his head. "Nah, I got enough sleep; besides Toothless always wakes me up early."

Jack nodded. "How late did you guys stay up last night?" He motioned to a still sleeping Merida, who's bow was now tangled in her wild red hair.

"Pretty late," Hiccup began, picking up a twig from the ground. "We got to talking quite a bit after fishing." He twisted the twig around in his hands. "'Still don't know too much about her though."

Jack nodded. "Well, that's what today is for. I guess we are closer to Corona than I thought, so we can just spend the day getting to know each other."

"Sounds good to me." Hiccup shrugged as Rapunzel walked up to them, her hair trailing behind her.

She sat on the other side of Jack. "Got most of it." She huffed.

"Good." Hiccup grinned. "You don't get out much, do you?" He noted her bare feet.

Rapunzel smirked. "No." It was silent for a minute. "It's hard to get out when you're locked in a tower."

"Oh." Hiccup lowered his gaze. "Right." However, a tap on his shoulder caught his attention. He glanced up to find Merida standing beside him.

"Mornin'." She quietly sat next to him, her wild hair bouncing.

"Morning." The trio responded simultaneously.

"How dae ye all sleep?" She crossed her legs and placed her hands in her lap.

"I slept decent for sleeping on the forest floor." Rapunzel replied.

Merida nodded. "Ye git used tae et."

"Oh! Well, I'm glad to hear that!" Rapunzel beamed. "What about you, boys?"

Jack shrugged. "I didn't sleep that much, I really don't need any sleep."

Hiccup nodded. "I'm used to very little sleep, but I slept well for those few hours."

Eugene had joined them by then, hearing their conversation. "I just woke up, and I slept well."

Hiccup glanced up at the man. "You sleep in the forest a lot, don't you?"

"When you are a thief on the run, that's all you can do." He responded.

"Good point." Hiccup shrugged.

"Whit es tae plan for taeday?" Merida asked quietly.

Jack sighed; he had explained it too much already. Hiccup took this chance to speak. "Jack figured out that we aren't far from our destination, so we can just spend the day getting to know each other; since we don't need to get there until tomorrow."

"Ok! Sounds like fun!" Rapunzel grinned.

Jack nodded. "Well, we learned quite a bit about Eugene and Rapunzel last night. Care to share anything, Merida?"

Merida sighed. "Whit dae ye want tae knou?"

"Where are you from, again?" Rapunzel asked, placing her head in her long hands.

"Dunbroch, Scotland." Merida shifted.

"Isn't that where the royal family lives?" Hiccup asked. He had always been curious about other countries and how their governments worked; after all, he was the heir chief of Berk, even though he never wanted to rule anything.

Merida hesitated. "Aye." Hiccup nodded.

"What's it like to live in the same town as the royal family of Scotland?" Eugene sat up. It was obvious from the story he told last night that he was interested in gold and nobility.

Merida gave a shy smile. "En sum ways, ets honorable, but en utters nae so much. King Fergus es eh relatively laid back guy while Queen Eleanor es very strict. Et can affect tae Kingdum."

"Oh." Hiccup and Eugene sighed simultaneously.

"What are your hobbies?" Rapunzel asked. "This can apply to everyone."

"Archery." Merida responded.

Eugene didn't have to answer, but did anyway. "Stealing."

"Painting, well, really everything." Sighed Rapunzel.

"Snow days." Jack sniggered.

Hiccup sighed. "Dragon training.

Eugene glanced at Hiccup. "Dragon training? What, you get classes on that stuff?"

Hiccup quirked an eyebrow. "Yes."

"What is you school called? How to Train Your Dragon?" Eugene joked.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "No, actually it's the Berk Dragon Training Academy."

"Oh." Eugene mumbled disappointedly.

Jack was about to speak again when a loud grumble interrupted him. The group silently turned around to find Toothless sitting on his hind legs. The black dragon glanced down at them and gave them a gummy smile, his split tongue flopping out of his mouth. Jack chuckled under his breath and the girls let out a giggle. The dragon glanced up at the river.

"Toothless, you're hungry already?" Hiccup stood up, walking over to the creature. Toothless coed in response. Hiccup muttered something under his breath. "You guys hungry?" He asked.

"Yes!" Rapunzel stood up.

Eugene shrugged. "I think everyone is."

"Not me." Jack interrupted. "I'm a spirit, I don't have to eat."

"At least come with us." Rapunzel tugged on his arm as Merida and Eugene slowly stood up.

"Alright, Punzie." Jack sighed, standing.

Rapunzel squealed. "Yay!" The corners of Jack's mouth pulled up.

Toothless dropped down to all fours and began to lumber off in the direction of the lower part of the river, where the fish were. The group slowly followed him. Eugene and Rapunzel were first behind him, lightly chatting with Jack at their heels, his staff in hand. Merida silently walked beside Hiccup. She slung her wooden bow over her head, resting it on her left shoulder and right hip. Hiccup walked quietly beside her, mainly because he didn't know what to say. However, he could sense some tension. Merida walked stiffly with her wild hair hiding her face from view. Was it something they had asked her? Was it something he asked her?

Hiccup smirked a little and reviewed their conversation at the camp in his head. After a minute, he shook his head, not finding anything. Ahead, Toothless suddenly stopped and glanced back at Hiccup, a gummy smile on his narrow face. Hiccup dismissed the dragon with a nod. Toothless' round pupils became thin lines and his teeth became bared. The dragon then practically pounced into the river, beginning his hunt for fish. Merida made a face.

"You guys know how to fish, right?" Eugene paused, glancing back at the group. Rapunzel smirked.

Merida rolled her eyes. "Lae et tae th' archer." She removed her bow from her back and drew an arrow from the quiver on her left hip.

She knocked the arrow and lightly stepped into the river, drawing back the string. Her bright, blue eyes scanned the running water before she pulled the string clear to her face and released the arrow into the river. To Rapunzel, Eugene and Jack's surprise, Merida's aim was spot on. She waded through the river and held up the arrow by its fletchings, revealing a speared Atlantic Herring. "Who wants et?"

"I'll take it." Eugene responded. Merida waded through the water, un-speared the fish and handed it to Eugene. "Ah suggest ye cuik 'at." Eugene gave her a sarcastic look. She sniggered and nocked the same arrow again. Eugene made another fire to cook the fish. Merida continued to shoot fish, catching multiple Atlantic Herrings. She did, however, catch a German Brown Trout. This she gave to Hiccup because she knew he would be more accustomed to it. Brown trout were common fish to catch in and around Scotland, especially Berk

"Haur." She handed Hiccup the trout, finally sitting down with her own Herring.

Hiccup's eyes sparked in content. It was a piece of home. "Thanks." Merida nodded. As their fish cooked, she placed her arrow back in the quiver. Toothless, now soaking wet, leapt out of the river and approached the group, his wide mouth completely occupied with perhaps a dozen fish. The girls let out a giggle as the black dragon dropped his bounty of fish on the ground and began eating.

The sun was high in the sky by the time the group had cooked and eaten their fish. The river ran at a steady pace and birds flew around them. Eugene laid on his back on the grass of the riverbank, casually asking questions. Rapunzel sat with her legs to the side near Eugen and lightly brushed her fingers through her hair. Jack sat on the edge of the river, his bare feet in the warm water. Toothless had blasted a part of the grass and slept on it, warming his scaled body. Hiccup and Merida sat leaning against the trunk of a fallen tree. Hiccup, who remembered that his sketch book was still in his fur vest, showed his drawings, most of which were of Toothless, to Merida. Merida was surprised at how well he could draw.

After a while, silence overcame the group and most of them grew bored. Eugene grew so bored that he actually fell asleep right where he was.

Merida shifted slightly and glanced around, until something caught her attention. A grin crossed her round face and she silently stood. Hiccup glanced up at her, quirking an eyebrow. she lightly set down her bow and removed the quiver from her waist. "Witch this." She spoke in a low voice before sneaking off to a tree on the river's shore. Hiccup's thick eyebrows pulled together and he stood, unsure of what was going on, or rather, what was going to happen. He shot a glance at Rapunzel, who gave him the same bewildered look. Rapunzel quietly stood up too and slowly walked towards Merida. As Hiccup walked forward, he could see a glimpse of Jack's brown cape.

However, before Rapunzel and Hiccup could even react, Merida pulled back one of the tree's drooping branches and released it on an unsuspecting Jack. The branch whacked Jack on the back only hard enough to shove him into the river. "Whoa!" Jack hollered out before falling into the water. Merida burst out laughing. Hiccup's mouth popped open. The sound of the splash awoke Eugene. Rapunzel joined in on laughing, in fact she was laughing so hard she was crying. Jack quickly resurfaced, now covered in sheets of ice. "Hey!" He glared at Merida. She continued laughing. Jack stood up, grumbling. Hiccup glanced over in time to watch a snowball collide with the side of Merida's head. Rapunzel and Hiccup quickly walked to the shore, laughing. A snowball collided with Rapunzel's left shoulder.

"Jack!" She gasped. "Oooooh, that's cold!" She shivered before jumping into the river, splashing Jack. Another snowball was sent through the air. Hiccup ducked in time to miss it. Merida leapt into the river, also splashing Jack. Rapunzel giggled and faced Hiccup, her soaked hair sticking to her face. "Join us Hiccup!" She motioned as Eugene cannonballed into the water, no longer caring.

"Um, no, I'm good, really." Hiccup took a step back.

"Aww, come oan." Merida pouted.

"No, really, I'm good." He put his hands in defense. Eugene splashed Rapunzel, who giggled in surprise. Jack straightened before removing his soaking wet cape and vest and tossing them to shore, now only in his pants and white, button-up shirt. Jack then splashed Merida, re-soaking her hair, which now hung in long, almost straight strands. Hiccup smirked.

Suddenly, something shot past him, wound around the tree and wrapped around his good ankle. "What the-?!" He glanced down in time to see Rapunzel's hair tighten around his ankle before he was pulled into the water. Hiccup struggled for a minute before he remembered how to swim again, then he burst through the surface, brushing his uneven bangs out of his eyes. "Punzie!" He gasped for air. The others chuckled. "My foot is going to rust!"

"Just dry it off good afterwards!" Rapunzel swam past Eugene and Jack, followed by her long hair.

Hiccup grumbled. "It'll rust anyways." Merida waded towards him, the water past her stomach. Hiccup shifted his weight and reached into the water. He was bent over for nearly a minute when he lost his balance and nearly fell back into the deep water. Merida caught him by the arm.

"Gotchye." She helped him stand back up.

Hiccup made a face. "Thanks. Though I do have to say, it's a floater." They glanced down to find a piece of wood in front of them. Hiccup picked it up, revealing his prosthetic foot.

"Och." Merida glanced at the metalwork.

Hiccup glanced up at her. "Sorry, but I don't want it to rust, and it's be really hard to replace, especially here."

Merida dismissed it with the wave of her hand. She was used to missing limbs, especially since her father lacked his foot. "Ets alright." She paused. "Haur." She helped him reach the river bank, where he placed the object on the grass. Rapunzel watched with a twinkle in her eye. Merida saw her expression and quirked a brow. Rapunzel shook her head, but smile crept on to her face. She could see where this was going.

Jack took the opportunity to splash Eugene right in the face, sending a few ice particles his way. Eugene shook it off and splashed both Jack and Rapunzel, beginning a massive splash fight.

The sun slowly set to the west and the group finally crawled out of the river to dry off while they watched the sun set. Eugene quickly built a fire back at the camp and they surrounded it in hopes of keeping warm. Meanwhile, Merida and Rapunzel watched as the boys took the luxury of hanging their vests on tree branches to dry. They could only huff and look at their soaking dresses and shiver beneath their long hair. They scooted closer to the fire, hoping to warm up and dry quicker. Toothless casually lumbered behind them and laid down, offering something to lean against. Eugene watched in amusement. Hiccup tightened his prosthetic around his left leg.

Jack stared up at the sky, looking at the large moon. "Any stories tonight?" He muttered, resting his head against a tree's root. "Or maybe just questions?"

Rapunzel thought silently with Pascal on her shoulder. "Not that I can think of."

"We huvnae heard much aboot ye, Jack. Teel us mair aboot yerself." Merida scooted even closer to the fire, reaching out her pale hands to warm them.

Jack sighed and sat up. "Where do I begin?" He glanced across the fire. Toothless lightly cooed. "Well, let's just say I was born in another time." He began after a minute.

Jack silently laid on his back, breathing deeply. Many hours had passed since the others had fallen asleep. The fire had died and the air became cold. Jack turned his head to the right, glancing at his sleeping friends. Once again, Eugene slept with his head propped up on a small boulder. Meanwhile Merida and Rapunzel laid back to back, Rapunzel wrapped up in her hair. Hiccup was not too far away, sleeping nearly face to face with Merida, only separated by Toothless' tail. Toothless had curled around Hiccup in an almost protective way. The large dragon silently slept with his large head rested on his forelegs.

Jack chuckled lightly and rested his head again, staring up at the brightening morning sky. "Hmm." He quietly stood up and grabbed his staff. Jack leapt into the air and flew above the trees. A smile lit up his pale face when he could see the tallest towers of Corona. They were much closer than they thought.

However, a noise below caught his attention and he flew down to the camp, landing lightly on a tree branch. Jack was taken back. Below, he watched as a large white horse stood above Eugene, covered in sweat and exhausted. Jack quirked a brow. Several drops of sweat fell on Eugene's face and he slowly woke up.

"Huh?" Eugene glanced up to find the horse. "Well, I hope you're here to apologize." Eugene tempted to fall asleep again, as if the horse was only part of his imagination. However, the horse wasn't so patient. He bit down on Eugene's boot and began to drag him away. "Aaaaagh!" Eugene yelled, waking the others. Rapunzel, still wrapped in her hair, lurched to her feet and ran after Eugene and the horse. "No, no, no, put me down! Let me go!" Eugene cried out, trying to grab something to hold on to. Rapunzel caught up and grabbed Eugene's hands. "Let. Me. Go!"

Rapunzel pulled against the horse with all her might. "Release. Him." She ordered the horse. The white horse began to shake Eugene from side to side. "Guys, a little help?" She called. Merida and Hiccup scrambled to their feet. Jack formed a snowball in his hand and threw it at the horse. The horse flinched away from the cold snowball, releasing Eugene, who was still holding on to Rapunzel for dear life. Eugene was sent flying through the air, over Rapunzel's head and collided with the ground, bringing her with him. "Oof." The horse, however, still had Eugene's boot.

The horse shook its head, dazed. Then it caught sight of Eugene and charged at him. Rapunzel pushed herself to her feet as Eugene scrambled halfway up a nearby tree's trunk. However, before the white horse reached Rapunzel, Toothless put himself between them. The massive dragon stood on his hind legs, wings open; giving him a look of size and authority. His scaled lips pulled back to bare his sharp, white teeth, wrinkling his nose. His pupils became slits and he let out a heart stopping roar. Indeed, the horse halted in his tracks, backing up several feet. With a horrified whinny, he reared on his hind legs. Rapunzel scrambled her way around Toothless to stand in front of the horse.

"Whoa!" She called out as the horse landed back down on all fours. "Hiccup, a little help?! Whoa! Easy, boy, easy!"

"Toothless, enough." Hiccup ordered. Jack leapt off of the tree branch.

Toothless lowered to all fours and folded his bat-like wings, pupils widening. The horse, however, was very disoriented and ran around in almost circles. "Settle down! Whoa, whoa! Easy, boy, easy." Rapunzel put her hands out, slowly calming down the horse. "Easy. That's it!" she smiled as the horse calmed down. Toothless lightly grumbled under his breath and walked over to Hiccup, sitting at his side. Pascal climbed up Rapunzel's hair and perched on top of her head, glaring up at the horse. The chameleon then gestured for the horse to stop. The white horse froze in place and let out a tiny whinny, confused by the small green creature. "Now sit." Rapunzel ordered, pointing to the ground. The horse assumed the position of sitting, but continued to refuse to actually sit. The horse snorted. "Sit." She ordered again. the horse dropped to the ground, sitting like a dog would.

"What?" Eugene stared at the horse in disbelief. Angus whinnied at the edge of the camp, still tied to a tree. Merida silently walked over to the massive horse and untied him.

"Easy, Laddie." She led him by the reigns to the other horse's side. Angus' head bounced as he walked and his horseshoes clicked against the ground.

"Now drop the boot." Rapunzel ordered. The horse gave her a look. "Drop it!" The horse opened his mouth and let the boot fall to the ground before clamping his mouth shut again. Rapunzel rubbed the horse's snout. "Aww, you are such a good boy! Yes you are!" The horse wagged his tail as if he were a dog. "You're all tired from chasing the bad man all over the place?" The horse nodded, sad and exhausted.

"Excuse me?" Eugene interrupted, still sitting at the tree.

Rapunzel ignored him. "Nobody appreciates you, do they?" The horse shook its head. Rapunzel hugged him around the neck. "Do they?" The horse wrapped his large head around her back and shook his head again, this time shaking her. Rapunzel gave Merida a teasing smile and Merida's eyes tightened in amusement as the corners of her mouth pulled up.

"Oh come on, he's a bad horse!" Eugene gestured to the horse, irritated. By now, Jack and Hiccup were laughing so hard they were crying. Merida had a playful smile on her face as she patted Angus' shoulder and wide back. Toothless sat on his hind legs, a gummy smile plastering his wide face.

"Oh, he's nothing but a big sweetheart!" Rapunzel interjected, continuing to rub the horse's face, who neighed delightedly and rubbed his large left cheek against her face. "Isn't that right?" That's when she noticed the collar; which was attached to his saddle, around his neck. The golden sun of Corona was engraved in it, and underneath it was the horse's name: "Maximus."

"You've got to be kidding me." Eugene crossed his arm and frowned. Maximus caught sight of Eugene and his head lurched forward, whacking Rapunzel in the leg. Another snowball formed in Jack's hand, just in case it was needed. Rapunzel patted the horses head up and she began to talk to Maximus again.

"Look. Today is kind of the biggest day of my life," She started. Maximus straightened as Rapunzel pulled Eugene to his feet. "And the thing is, I need you to not get him arrested." Maximus' ears pulled back and he snorted disapprovingly. "Just for twenty-four hours and then you can chase each other to your hearts' content, okay?" Eugene sighed and extended his hand, as if to shake in agreement. Maximus turned his head away defiantly. Rapunzel smirked sadly and crossed her arms behind her back. "And it's also my birthday. Just so you know." Hiccup, Merida and Jack straightened, completely forgetting it was her birthday.

Maximus reluctantly agreed, shaking his hoof with Eugene's hand. The group sighed with relief. However, a sound in the distance caught their attention. Rapunzel's eyes sparked with excitement as Hiccup, Merida and Jack steadily turned around, listening as the sound continued.

Hiccup paused. "Are those… bells?"

Jack grinned. "Yes they are."

Rapunzel broke though Maximus and Eugene's shake. When no one was looking, Maximus raised his hoof again and punched Eugene right in the gut. "Ooof!" Eugene clutched at his torso and collapsed to the ground. Maximus let out a content whinny.

"Eugene, are you alright?" Jack turned around.

"Yeeeaah….." Eugene struggled to breathe. "I will be." Jack walked over and helped him up. "Thanks." Eugene glared at Maximus, who gave him a smug look. Jack nodded, gripping his staff. Hiccup grabbed his fur vest from the tree branch and put it on. Jack glanced at his vest and cape. He despised those clothes, after all, he didn't need them to keep warm anymore and they just restricted movement.

Hiccup noticed Jack's decision to ditch his vest and cape. "You don't want them?"

Jack shook his head. "They're a nuisance anyway." Hiccup nodded. Jack noticed that Eugene already had his vest on. Merida strapped her quiver back around her waist and slung her bow across her back. Rapunzel placed Pascal on her shoulder and picked up her frying pan. Jack and Eugene rolled their eyes at the frying pan in her hand.

Merida mounted Angus as the others began walking in the direction of where the bell sounds had come from. Toothless and Maximus slowly followed them. As usual, Hiccup walked alongside Merida –and Angus-, Rapunzel walked beside Eugene and Jack led everyone towards Corona.

However, when they reached the edge of the forest, a clear problem emerged: Toothless. There was no way they could bring him into Corona, it would terrify everyone. "Hiccup, what are we going to do with Toothless?" Jack asked. They stopped. Hiccup glanced at Toothless with a smirk, if he were a horse, this would be easier; but he wasn't.

"I guess we'd have to leave him in the forest." Hiccup sighed, rubbing Toothless' face. The dragon's pupils grew adorably round and he cooed as if he were trying to play the guilt card. "But I can't just leave him here, it's not right."

Merida frowned. "Hou aboot thes. We lae 'em haur, but we come back tae check oan 'em every coople o' hoors?"

Hiccup smirked. "I suppose that would work." He paused. "Just give me a minute." Jack nodded. Rapunzel, Eugene and Jack slowly started walking. Merida stayed put and waited for Hiccup on Angus. "Hey, bud." Hiccup knelt down to face Toothless. "I can't take you into Corona. People here aren't used to dragons. So I have to leave you here." Toothless cooed sadly. "It's just for the day, but don't worry. I'm going to come back every couple of hours to check on you, okay?" Hiccup rubbed the dragon's nose and he cooed in understanding. Then, unexpectedly, the dragon licked him on the face. "Toothless!" He stood up, whipping off his face. Merida couldn't contain her laughter. "Yeah, I love you too, bud." He patted the dragon good-bye.

"Want eh ryde?" Merida gestured to Angus.

"Um, Merida, have you seen the size of your horse? I'm pretty sure my legs cant bend that wide." Hiccup's eyes widened.

"Och, ye'll be fyne." She rolled her eyes.

Hiccup made a face. "Okay…"

Merida reached down with her right hand. Hiccup took her hand and she pulled him up on to Angus' back. Merida had been right, he was fine. Perhaps Angus just looked bigger than he actually was. "Ye might want tae hang oan. 'e goes fest."

"See you soon, Toothless!" Hiccup called over his shoulder before turning around with a puzzled look. "Where am I supposed to hang on?" He asked. There was no saddle, and frankly he would feel too awkward holding on to Merida.

"Ah know whit ye're thinkin'." She glanced over her shoulder. "Jist hauld oan tae me." She gripped the reigns in her small hands.

"Um… Ok." Hiccup made a face. Merida turned to face ahead and rolled her eyes, he indeed was an awkward, shy boy.

The minute Hiccup wrapped his arms around her stomach, she yanked the reigns. "Hiyah!" Angus took off through the forest. Hiccup glanced over his shoulder to watch as Toothless sat where he had left him and he grew smaller and smaller as they rode away.

It didn't take them long to catch up with the others, they hadn't walked too far; and Angus was a fast horse. "Whoa." Merida called as they reached the group. Angus quickly slowed down to a walk. Maximus, who had followed the others, glanced up at Angus as he arrived and snorted.

"Perfect timing." Jack grinned. "We've reached the bridge." Everyone looked up as they cleared the forest.

"Wow." Hiccup breathed.

Before them was an entire island, attached to the mainland by only one large, brick bridge. The kingdom of Corona was nearly made up of townhomes and shops that covered most of the island. The townhomes and shops were made of tan-grey bricks and were formed with large, dark, wooden beams. Their roves were either made of yellowish hay or multicolored shingles. From far away, they could make out tall trees and a large, grey brick wall. Above the wall was the castle. The castle had many towers, one of them easily being over two hundred feet tall. The roofing on the castle was made up of russet shingles while the domes and spikes of the towers were close to a periwinkle blue. The brick walls of the castle were a creamy white.

Jack glanced over his shoulder, a bright smile on his face. "Happy Birthday Punzie." She flashed a smile and began walking towards the bridge, followed by Jack and Eugene, who was followed by Maximus. Hiccup lightly slid off of Angus' back and waited for Merida to dismount. Soon enough, they followed everyone else.

"This is without a doubt the largest castle I've ever seen." Hiccup glanced up at the castle, astonished.

"Ye don gae owt much, dae ye?" Merida glanced down at him, leading Angus by the reigns.

Hiccup smirked. "No, not really. The only other time I left Berk was to fight the Red Death at Dragon Island."

Rapunzel turned around to mouth 'Wow!' to the others. They only laughed at her excitement.

Merida nodded. "T'e castle at Dunbroch es much bigger, nae en height, but en size an' width." She closed her eyes, imagining the Scottish Castle. "Et even has underground tunnels." She added with a light laugh.

"How do you know that?" Her comment caught his attention.

Merida gave him a shy smile. "Ah've been en et." Hiccup's mouth popped open.

Ahead, Jack watched as Eugene approached a piece of paper nailed to the wall of the orange-ish bridge and tore it right off, crumpling it up into a ball. Maximus stood at Eugene's side, staring him down. Eugene turned to find the horse glaring at him and he instinctively shoved the piece of paper into the horse's mouth. Maximus spit the piece of paper out. However, instead of falling to the ground, covered in spit, the paper landed directly on Eugene's face. As Jack drew closer, he could see that the paper was in fact a wanted poster of Flynn Rider. Merida, Hiccup and Angus caught up with Jack and they stopped to watch the whole event, greatly amused. Before they knew it, Eugene ripped his wanted poster off his face and he began to fight with the palace horse.

A sound came from ahead and the entire group froze in place, including Eugene and Maximus, who somehow had Eugene's thigh in his mouth. Ahead, Rapunzel continued to walk ahead, paying no attention to the commotion behind her. However, Pascal sat on top of her head with an expression that could only be described as 'you better behave'.

Maximus released Eugene's right thigh and Eugene lowered his fist with a frown on his face. Eugene then elbowed Maximus in the shoulder. Maximus in return rammed that same shoulder into Eugene's side. Jack shook his head and began walking again, Hiccup, Merida and Angus on his heels. Angus' horseshoes and Hiccup's prosthetic foot clicked against the cobblestone of the bridge.

Rapunzel finally reached the white entrance of Corona, a spring in her step. She was so happy to be there that she didn't care about all the looks she got because of her hair, especially for its length but also its color. For it seemed that _everyone_ in Corona had brown or red hair. The people varied in shapes and sizes and wore many varieties of clothing from collared button-up shirts to trench coats to skirts, knee high socks, pants, short sleeve shirts, vests and bonnets. Most women there also tied back their average length hair into buns, pony tails or braids.

However, just a few feet through the entrance, Rapunzel automatically started having problems. She suddenly found herself dodging a cart of goats, a small flock of geese, a woman carrying a bread basket, a young boy and his father, and an elderly man reading a book; only to find herself being trapped by her long hair being stepped on. She quickly began picking up her long hair form the stone ground. Eugene ran up to the entrance, scooping up the last twenty feet of her blonde hair. Rapunzel sighed, relieved. Jack gripped his staff and flew the rest of the way down the bridge and through the stone entrance to Rapunzel and Eugene's sides, followed by a galloping Maximus. Rapunzel and Eugene's arms were completely full with her long hair. Eugene looked around for a solution to it.

Meanwhile, Jack caught sight of the fountain and grinned. There sat the four fountain girls, each with their own hair style of braids. The girl on the left, Stacey, had her red hair pulled back into high, pigtailed braids. Lainey was the next girl, who still kept her hair in a single braid. The girl that sat beside her was Agnes; she wore her hair into two low braids. And finally, on the very right, was Jenny who wore her hair in five wild braids.

With a smile, Jack called their names. "Stacey, Lainey, Agnes, Jenny!" the young girls' heads shot up, wild red braids flying.

The girls' mouths popped open. "Jack!" They scrambled off the fountain and across the courtyard. Jack bent down as they ran up to him. Jenny got there first. "Jack, you come back!" She threw her arms around him.

Jack laughed. "I told you I would." All the other girls threw their arms around him too, actually knocking him over to the point where he was sitting on the ground. The sight made Jack's friends smile. After a minute, Jack glanced over his shoulder at Rapunzel, who still held her long hair in her arms. "Can I ask you guys to do me a favor?" He looked back at the girls, who nodded eagerly. "My friend here needs some help with her hair, do you think you could help her out?" The girls peered past Jack to find Rapunzel and Eugene standing there, arms full of hair. Their mouths popped open.

"Yes!" They squealed. Jack stood up. Lainey took Rapunzel's hand, causing her to drop her armfuls of hair. "Come with us!" She led Rapunzel to the fountain where no one else was and had her sit on the ground. The girls automatically pulled the length of Rapunzel's hair out and separated it into three large pieces. Lainey then went and separated a few more very small strands and set them to the side. Hiccup, Merida, Jack, Eugene, Maximus, and Angus walked over to watch as the four small girls quickly went to work on Rapunzel's hair. Merida watched in awe as the girls' quick hands braided down the length of Rapunzel's seventy-foot long hair, braiding it tightly. When they had finished braiding it, they began to layer the hair on top of itself, making it easier for Rapunzel to move around and so that the braid had a much thicker appearance.

"Stacey, can you get us an entire basket full of flowers?" Lainey asked as she continued to work with Rapunzel's hair.

"Sure thing!" Stacey ran off. Rapunzel glanced over her shoulder. Minutes later, Stacey returned with a large basket of flowers. "Here you go." Stacey set the basket beside Lainey as she began braiding the pieces of hair that had been set aside.

"Thank you." Lainey grinned. Once she was done braiding the side pieces, Lainey had Stacey help her twist the smaller braids around the larger braid. Jenny and Agnes began to place the bright, colorful flowers in Rapunzel's braids.

Behind Rapunzel and the fountain girls, Hiccup and Jack sat on a brick wall, next to Eugene; who stood, leaning against the wall with Maximus at his side. Pascal crawled on to Jack's shoulder. Eugene gave Maximus an expression that could only be described as gloating. Maximus kept both eyes on him, ears perked forward and jaw stubbornly set. Eugene for now seemed to be content with his current situation, that was until he glanced over his shoulder. He abruptly ducked behind the wall. Jack and Hiccup quirked a brow before they turned around. Pascal squeaked as they watched two armored palace guards pass by. Hiccup's eyebrows rose a little. Maximus' eyes watched every move Eugene made. Hiccup and Jack turned back around and froze, eyes widening. Merida's mouth popped open. Eugene, still worried about the guards, sighed with relief and finally glanced up, freezing as well. His mouth popped open and his eyes widened a little.

Before them, Rapunzel stood, surrounded by the fountain girls. Her hair hung all the way to her feet, braided and filled with beautiful yellow, white, purple, and pink daisies. "Oh, thank you!" Rapunzel twirled around, feeling free as she moved. The fountain girls nodded in approval. Eugene's head raised and the corners of his mouth pulled up. Or at least until Maximus leaned in and wiggled his 'eyebrows' at him. Eugene shoved the horse away.

Jack leapt off the wall and approached Rapunzel and the fountain girls. He gave Rapunzel a bright smile before he knelt down in front of jenny. The other three girls walked to her side. "Thank you so much girls."

"You're welcome, Jack!" The girls beamed, content with their work.

Bidding their goodbyes to the young girls, the large group continued on, walking around the busy streets of Corona. They walked through small shops and glanced at stands, buying an occasional object such as fruit or a souvenir. Above the crowd on the roofs, banners of purple flags with yellow suns and banners of green leaves and bright flowers hung.

Hiccup glanced past the banner to see the position of the sun. Already, a couple of hours had passed. "We should go check on Toothless." The others stopped.

"We'll be in the plaza when you get back, it's not far from here." Jack responded. The pair nodded before turning around and heading back to the forest.

"I wasn't expecting Corona to be this busy, and lively!" Hiccup spoke as they wove through the crowd.

"Aye, ets eh bigger place than ah thought." Merida responded, leading Angus through the streets. There was a silence between them for a moment.

"You don't get out much, either; do you?" Hiccup asked as they reached the white entrance.

"Whit makes ye say t'at?" Merida glanced at her, wild hair flying over her shoulder.

"Dunno." Hiccup smirked. Merida mounted Angus, extending her hand down.

Hiccup took her hand, and she pulled him up on to Angus' back. "Weel, ye're reit. Ah don git oot much. T'e furthest Ah've eva gon frae Dunbroch es Clan McGuffin."

"Oh." Hiccup responded. Merida nudged Angus' sides with her feet and the horse took off down the orange-ish bridge. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her stomach, not wanting to fall off the horse. Angus cantered across the bridge in no time, making his way towards the forest.

Merida came up with her own question this time. "Hou old are ye anywae?" She continued to steer Angus through the trees.

"Fifteen." He replied. "You?"

"Sixte'n." Merida answered. "Nae offense, but ye dornt look fifte'n."

Hiccup sighed. "Yeah, I know. I get that a lot. I always seem to look younger than I actually am, probably because im so small. As for you, to be honest, you look older than sixteen."

"Really?" Merida glanced over her shoulder. Hiccup nodded. A flash of black caught her attention and she pulled on the reigns. "Easy laddie." Angus quickly slowed to a walk. Hiccup glanced over Merida's shoulder. Merida's bright eyes scanned the forest.

"What is it?" Hiccup glanced at her.

"Ah'm nae sure." She gripped the reigns. Angus whinnied nervously. A sudden rustling in a nearby bush made the pair jump. Hiccup's eyes widened a little. "Hou fa' bac did we lave Toothless?"

"I think it was farther than this." Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed together. However a minute later, a large black head peered through the bush, easing their nervousness. "Toothless!" Hiccup scowled. He unwrapped his arms from around Merida and dismounted Angus. The dragon's pupils dilated with happiness and his ears pricked forward. Toothless gave them a gummy smile and crawled out the bush, his jet black body littered with bright, green leaves. Merida smiled and dismounted angus, swinging her leg over Angus' side. "I told you I would come back." Hiccup walked up to Toothless, who cooed.

The dragon glanced at Merida and gave her a gummy smile, his split tongue flopping out. "'Ello Toothless." She grinned, patting the creature on the nose. "Hou are ye?" Toothless harrumphed, giving her a bored look.

"Sorry, bud." Hiccup smirked. "I'd take you in there, but it would not be wise to do." Toothless sat on his back legs. His pupils shrunk in size a little and his nose repeatedly twitched as his mouth rapidly moved. He seemed to be muttering to himself. The sight made Merida giggle. Hiccup frowned, feeling the cold shoulder. The dragon grinned and sunk down to all fours. He walked over to Hiccup's side and gave the Viking a big lick across the left side of his face. "Toothless!" Hiccup stepped backward and tripped over his own prosthetic foot. Toothless continued to lick him. "You. Know. That-" Hiccup tried to push the dragon away. "Doesn't wash out."

"Toothless, git oof 'em." Merida lightly pushed the dragon. Toothless stopped and stepped away, making a snickering sound. Hiccup laid on his back, his face covered with saliva and part of his shirt soaked. Merida made a face. Hiccup wiped his face off with his sleeve.

"Just what I needed bud." He gave the dragon a look. Toothless sniggered and sat back on his hind legs with a look of satisfaction.

Merida looked up, peering through the trees. "Hiccup, we should probablae git bac tae t'e others."

Hiccup sighed and wrung out the left shoulder of his shirt. "Okay." The young Viking stood up and patted his dragon on the nose. "We'll be back in a couple hours, bud." Toothless cooed sadly. "I promise."

Merida approached Angus and mounted him, once again extending her hand down to Hiccup. Hiccup took her hand and she pulled him up before taking the reins. Hiccup wrapped his arms around Merida and once again watched Toothless until he was nothing but a speck in the background. Merida glanced over her shoulder at Hiccup, who was still looking back. "'e'll be fine." She spoke. Hiccup turned back to face her.

"I know, it's just… this is the most amount of times I've left him since before the battle of the Red Death." Hiccup muttered. Merida sighed. Her thoughts soon strayed to family. She thought of her three wild brothers, and her father. And her mother. Merida suddenly frowned and shook off the thought. She was here now, it didn't matter what she had left behind. And yet her thoughts continued to stray back to her family. She indeed had a struggle on her hands and a weight on her shoulders.

They soon exited the forest and Merida snapped back to her senses. "We must have been farther in the forest than we thought." Hiccup broke the silence.

"Aye." Merida nodded as Angus crossed the orange-ish bridge once more. There was a silence between them as they dismounted Angus at the white entrance.

The streets continued to fill with people and animals as the sun peaked at mid-day and continued to move across the sky. The shops and stands were completely packed with people and Corona's stables were filled with horses. Merida, followed by Angus, and Hiccup slowly squeezed their way through the crowds. Eventually, they made their way to the plaza. They automatically found Jack, Rapunzel, Eugene and Maximus.

Rapunzel's face lit up once she saw them. "There you guys are!"

"Yeah, sorry it took us so long; the streets are pretty crowded now." Hiccup informed them. The other three nodded in understanding. Maximus trotted up to Angus' side, whinnying a greeting. Angus whinnied back, nipping at a piece of Maximus' mane.

Rapunzel gasped. "Oh, can we go to the library now!?"

Jack chuckled, a smile pulling on his pale lips. "If you want to, sure."

"Yay!" Rapunzel leapt with joy and ran across the plaza to a set of stairs with a picture of a book hanging over them. Jack flew to her side, followed by Eugene, Merida, Hiccup and the horses. Merida tied Angus and Maximus' reins in a knot around a nearby post and followed the others up the stairs and through the front door.

"Whoa!" Rapunzel froze in place. Before the group was a large room with walls that were painted leaf green and a wood-paneled floor. The leaf green walls were lined with bookshelves filled with hard covered books. "So many books!"

Jack flew into the air and landed on top of a book shelf. He watched as the group skimmed through the shelves, picking out books that interested them. Soon enough, the floor of the library was covered with scattered books. Merida had found a book on mythical creatures while Eugene had found a book about Corona's history. Rapunzel found a book on art and another on geography. She quickly flipped through the art one and opened the geography one.

She opened to a page with a large world map. Jack leapt down from the bookshelf and sat down beside her, laying his staff down on the ground. "Where do you think we are?" She glanced at Jack before glancing back at the map. It was such a big world and she had seen so little of it. Jack smirked unsure.

However, his answer came from a stream of moonlight that peeked through a window above. _Corona is located in what is now modern day Insel, Germany. _

Jack shifted his gaze to Germany, searching for Insel. Of course this map wasn't up to date, but the land hadn't changed much. Being a free spirit for 300 years, Jack had traveled just about everywhere….twice. He knew just about every town in every country, like the back of his hand. "Hang on." He stood up and grabbed a magnifying glass from the librarian's table. He placed it over Germany and quickly found the farthest South-West lake, a lake now known as Lake Constance.

Jack had been to Insel only once, but he remembered a lot about it. Insel was also known as Lindau. Since the days of Corona, the land had been flattened. The castle, shops, and town homes had been replaced with white buildings topped with brick-orange roofs, a large church, and a railway for trains and lighthouses. Also unlike Corona, different trees had grown in place of most ones during this time. Many of the trees were still Weeping Willow trees, but there were more trees in Insel such as Old English Trees and Hazel trees. The orange bridge had been replaced with a concrete bridge for cars and another bridge had been constructed for the railway.

"Corona's here." He tapped on the magnifying glass. Rapunzel peered into it. "See that lake there?" Rapunzel nodded. "There's a really tiny island in the lake, and that's where we are. Actually, in my time, Corona is known as Insel, Germany." This caught the others' attention.

They sat down their books, except for Hiccup, who still hadn't found one; and walked over to Jack and Rapunzel's side, peering at the book. Merida sat down in between Hiccup and Eugene and pointed to a section of the map. "Thaur's Scotland, whaur Ah'm frae."

Hiccup glanced at Jack. "Care if I use this?" He picked up the magnifying glass. Jack shook his head. Hiccup shifted the magnifying glass over Scotland. Beneath the glass, he could make out several small dots along the coast of it. "One of these islands is Berk." Merida glanced at the islands.

"Oh, Jack, can you show us where Burgess is?!" Rapunzel looked at him.

Jack shrugged. "Sure, now, I'm in fact nowhere near you guys. May I?" Jack motioned to the magnifying glass. Hiccup handed it to him. Jack shifted his gaze to North America, noting that the continent wasn't completely correct, and set the magnifying glass over the east coast of the United States. He adjusted it over Pennsylvania and sat back. "Burgess is a small town in the middle of the state of Pennsylvania. I've explained how this works to Hiccup and Merida because they are from different time periods, but Pennsylvania is located in the new land which declared independence from Great Britain just six years ago in 1776. The new land, formerly known as the thirteen colonies, is now called the United States of America. The United States will end their war against Britain next year, 1783."

"Whoa." Rapunzel and Eugene simultaneously spoke, shocked by how much history he had taught them.

"Well, that's your history lesson for the day." Jack chuckled. The group shared a short laugh before returning to their books. Rapunzel closed her geography book and found another book to read.

Hiccup, who still did not have a book, continued to glance through the shelves. That was until he came across a small book in the last bookshelf. He pulled it out and glanced at the cover, which was a deep purple with gold lettering. Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed together and he opened it, quickly reading through the short book. His eyes widened a little and he silently walked over to Jack, who now sat in the corner of the room, watching the others.

"You might want to read this." Hiccup handed Jack the purple book. Jack glanced up at Hiccup before looking at the book. He now understood why Hiccup wanted him to read it. The book was called "The Missing Princess of Corona". Hiccup sat down beside him.

Jack opened the book and began reading it. 'It is said that in the late 1400s, during the peak of the Renaissance, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens and from this small drop, grew a magic, golden flower. It had the ability to heal the sick and injured. The flower seemed impossible for all to find, except for one. Rumors had spread across the lands of a woman who had found the magic flower. This woman walked among everyone else, unnoticed. Instead of sharing the sun's gift, this woman hoarded its healing power and used it to keep herself young for hundreds of years. She hid the flower from sight and guarded it with her life.

'Centuries passed and the flower had not been found and the story of it turned into nothing but a myth. As the Renaissance came to an end, a new kingdom grew nearby. This kingdom was named Corona; after the story of the sun's magic flower. The kingdom was ruled by the beloved King Thomas and his queen, Primrose. Years later the king and queen were to be blessed with a child; that was, until the queen grew very ill. She was running out of time, and that's when people usually start to look for a miracle. Or in this case, a mythical, magic, golden flower. The entire kingdom searched for the magic flower, for they loved the queen dearly. With an entire kingdom searching for it, the flower was soon found and brought to Corona. The magic of the golden flower healed the queen. A healthy baby girl, a princess was born, with beautiful golden hair.' Jack glanced at Hiccup.

"Hey, Eugene, check this out!" Rapunzel called him over to where she was sitting. Eugene set down his book and sat beside. They immediately began talking, drawing in Merida, who had just finished her book.

Hiccup spoke in a low voice. "A magic flower that healed a queen and gave a princess golden hair. Think about it. Rapunzel has blonde hair that glows gold and can heal people. She's got to be the missing princess."

Jack glanced at Rapunzel and sighed. She did indeed have all of those traits. "This also happened eighteen years ago. Rapunzel turns eighteen today, on the princess' birthday." He also spoke in a low voice. After a minute, he continued reading.

'To celebrate her birth, the king and the queen launched a flying lantern into the sky. And for that moment, everything was perfect. And then that moment ended. For a reason still unknown to this day, an old woman broke into the castle, stole the child and just like that –gone; leaving behind only a single lock of brown hair, presumably the old woman's hair. The kingdom searched and searched but they could not find the princess. Each year, on her birthday, the king and queen released thousands of lanterns into the sky, in hope that someday, their lost princess would return.'

Jack's eyebrows pulled together and he closed the book, standing up. "Excuse us for a minute." He motioned for Hiccup to follow him as he set the book down on the shelf. The others quirked a brow but nodded. Hiccup gave them a shrug, stood up and followed Jack out the library's front door. "I believe you're right about Rapunzel." Jack stood outside in the plaza, now able to speak in a normal voice. "But how are we supposed to get her to believe that. She still thinks that the woman who takes care of her is her mother."

Hiccup smirked. "Her 'mother' must be the woman who originally found the flower." He thought for a moment. "Now, we don't want to ruin her birthday by telling her that her entire life has been a lie. How about we tell her tonight, after the lanterns' release. We can go from there."

"The lanterns!" Jack's eyes widened. "In the book it said that the king and queen celebrated her birth with a lantern. Rapunzel has only ever wanted to see the lanterns. She must subconsciously remember the lantern from when she was a baby!"

"Then Rapunzel has to be the princess. And remember the book also said that a single lock of brown hair was left behind? Rapunzel has one lock of brown hair that is short. Her 'mother' must have cut it thinking that her hair would stay magical and be able to heal her; but when it turned brown and powerless, she took Rapunzel." Hiccup broke everything down.

Jack nodded. "Alright, after the lanterns we'll tell her. Rapunzel deserves to be free. Corona deserves their princess back." Hiccup nodded in agreement and they silently entered the library door. The others glanced up form Rapunzel's book.

"Dae ye want tae dae somethin' else nou?" Merida asked.

"Sure." Jack shrugged. The group quickly put back their books, leaving the library clean, and exited the library. The plaza was now packed with people. Merida untied the horses.

That's when Hiccup noticed the position of the sun. More than three hours had passed. "We should probably check on Toothless."

Merida glanced up too. "We'll be back es suin es possible." Merida led Angus by the reigns and walked with Hiccup through crowded streets. Jack watched them go while Rapunzel gasped as she caught sight of a cart with chalk in it.

Eugen chuckled. "C'mon." He led her over to the cart where she picked out purple, pink, white and yellow chalk. Eugene paid the vendor. "What are you going to do with all that chalk?"

"Hmm." Rapunzel frowned. "I… don't know."

"Here, I've got an idea." Eugene walked over to a young boy who was selling flags. Rapunzel followed him. Eugene talked to the boy for a minute before handing him a coin. The boy handed Eugene a purple piece of cloth and tipped his brown hat in appreciation. "Why don't you do something creative with this." He handed Rapunzel the cloth. Rapunzel unfolded it to find Corona's flower-like sun in the center.

Rapunzel beamed. "Oh, thank you!" Eugene nodded. After a minute, Rapunzel noticed a whole bunch of kids drawing with chalk on the side of the plaza. She joined them and immediately started drawing, using the cloth as a reference. Jack lightly sat on Maximus' back, cross-legged with Pascal on his shoulder. He and Eugene watched as a masterpiece was formed before them.

Rapunzel started with Corona's golden sun and then drew pink-purple people between the sun's rays. The people she drew were based off of Corona's people. An elderly couple, a child in a carriage, a young family, children at play, a young couple, a woman helping an elderly woman. Outside the sun and people, she drew a purple back ground that simply reminded Jack of floral arrangements. By the time she was done, both of her hands were completely covered in chalk. She stepped back, happy with her work. She flashed Jack a smile and wiped her brow off with her forearm. The corners of Jack mouth pulled up, sensing her joy.

Once Rapunzel washed off her hands, they walked around the plaza some more, followed by Maximus. Jack placed Pascal on Rapunzel's shoulder. The chameleon squeaked in gratitude. "That's where he went!" She smiled. Pascal sniggered.

After a couple of minutes, Jack glanced through the shops. Most products sold in Corona were fruit and clothing. He passed the food shops, not needing food, and glanced at the clothes, stopping in his tracks. The first shirt he saw caught his attention. Although it didn't have a hood, it was strikingly similar to his sweatshirt, which he missed dearly. He walked up to the shirt and felt the fabric. Indeed, it was the same material. It was also the same royal blue and even had a formal form of pockets.

"What are you looking at?" Rapunzel walked up to him.

"This shirt; it reminds me so much of my sweatshirt that I left behind when I came here." His eyes sparked. "I'd give anything to have it back." Rapunzel smirked, glancing around. She caught sight of Eugene and a light smile formed on her face.

"How much is it?" She walked up to the shirt, looking for a price tag.

"13 Thalers!" The stall owner shouted over to them.

"That's actually a good price for a shirt, but I don't have any money. What little I had I used to buy your canvas." Jack smirked.

"Oh." Rapunzel smirked too. Jack straightened his collar and gripped his staff, homesick. "I'll be back." Rapunzel patted his shoulder and silently left, walking up to Eugene. "Is there a way I can borrow 13 Thalers from you? I owe Jack something."

Eugene quirked a brow, looking down at her. "Sure, but then you'll owe me."

"I know, I will pay you back when we get back to my tower; my mother has a secret stash of money there that she doesn't know that I know about." Rapunzel spoke. "I promise I'll pay you back."

"Fair enough." Eugene handed her the 13 silver coins.

"Thank you!" Rapunzel thanked him. She stood on her toes and kissed Eugene on the cheek in gratitude before running off to Jack side. Eugene stood there dazed for a moment. "Hey."

Jack glanced up at her. "Hey. What's in your hands?" He saw her hands clasped together, covering something.

"You bought me a canvas, which I am thankful for; but I owe you now." She revealed the coins in her hands.

"Oh, no; that's not necessary." Jack replied.

"Oh sure it is. It's what friends do, besides I can tell how much you miss your sweatshirt. I'll even sew on a hood for you, later." She looked at him, a smile on her face.

Jack's face softened. "Thanks Punzie, it means a lot to me." He abruptly hugged her.

She hugged back. "You're welcome Jack." They released each other. "Come on, let's go buy that shirt!" She smiled. She picked up the shirt and walked up to the stall owner. She handed the woman the coins, who quickly counted them.

"Thank you, have a good day." She smiled. Rapunzel nodded.

Rapunzel walked up to Jack and handed him the shirt. "Go put it on!" She shoved him teasingly. Jack laughed and flew off to find a place to switch out his shirts. Rapunzel walked up to Eugene. "Thank you." She smiled at him.

"You're welcome." Eugene returned her a smile. Maximus whinnied. The pair turned to find Hiccup, Merida and Angus. Angus whinnied back.

"Where's Jack?" Hiccup quirked a brow after a minute.

"Right here." Jack flew up behind them. Hiccup's jaw dropped. Merida glanced at him, a light smile on her face. Rapunzel and Eugene turned around.

"What?" He asked, quirking a brow. Jack stood before them, staff in hand. The white shirt was now long gone, replaced with the blue shirt that Rapunzel had bought him. The royal blue in the shirt brought out his ice blue eyes. A thin layer of ice crept across the shoulder part of his shirt and down his chest, once again giving him his iconic Jack Frost look.

"Whoa." Rapunzel's eyes widened in awe.

"Ye luik guid en blue." Merida explained, the corners of her mouth pulling up.

Jack flashed a smile, his white teeth glinting in the sunlight. "Oh." Eugene nodded in approval.

A sudden, growling noise came from behind them and they glanced back at Maximus. "Sounds like he's hungry." Hiccup pointed out.

"We should probably get something to eat anyway." Eugene muttered. Rapunzel nodded. Eugene, Rapunzel, Merida, and Hiccup stood in line at a nearby food shop while Jack, who didn't need food, stood between Maximus and Angus. Jack glanced around the plaza, content.

Merida unclipped a small bag from the sheath at her waist. She untied the tiny bag and glanced in it. Shock crossed her face.

"What?" Hiccup glanced at her.

She picked up a coin from inside, flipping it around in her pale hand. "Mah money has chaenged. T'ey 're Corona Thalers nou."

"Wow, that's cool!" Hiccup's thick eyebrows pulled up. Merida nodded.

Rapunzel, however, ignored their conversation and looked across the plaza, intrigued. She silently stepped out of line and walked across the plaza, to the mural of the royal family. Jack watched her walk, hope sparking in his ice blue eyes. She stood there alone for a good minute before he joined her.

At the bottom of the mural, a young mother and her two daughters sat. The oldest daughter set down a beautiful purple flower. "It's for the lost princess." The dark-haired girl explained to her baby sister. Rapunzel noticed dozens of other flowers at the base of the mural. At her side, a flash of white caught her attention and she turned to face Jack.

"Lost princess?" Rapunzel asked.

Jack breathed. "See the little girl in the mural?" Rapunzel nodded. "About eighteen years ago, the princess was kidnapped; and hasn't been seen since."

Rapunzel frowned. "Why was she kidnapped?"

"No one really knows." Jack smirked. Although he really did know, he decided to save the real story for after the lanterns.

"Oh." Rapunzel eyed the missing princess. "She has blonde hair and green eyes, just like me."

Jack's eyes sparked. "Yeah." He simply nodded, before sighing. She would know the truth soon enough. Rapunzel continued to stare at the mural. Something about it drew her to it. She just couldn't place the feeling. "You okay, Punzie?" He asked.

Rapunzel pursed her lips. "Yeah, it's just…. There's something about this mural. Something I can't quite place my finger on."

"Oh." Jack gripped his staff.

Just then, three men passed by, playing instruments. The first man reminded Jack of Robin Hood. This man played a guitar, while the large man that followed him played a violin. The third man reminded Jack of a musketeer, mainly because of his large hat and plume-like feather. This final man played a basic form of a clarinet. Rapunzel turned to watch them and a smile lit up her face. She happily followed them.

Back at the food stand, Eugene, Merida, and Hiccup had just bought several loaves of bread and wedges of cheese. They soon turned to find Rapunzel dancing in the middle of the plaza. She danced lightly to the trio's music, twirling around in circle. Her large braid echoed her movements, no longer getting in the way.

A smile fought its way on to Merida's face as Rapunzel danced right up to a young five year-old boy, taking his hands. The young boy smiled up at Rapunzel as his mother urged him on. The pair danced around in circles before they broke away from each other. Rapunzel lightly ran over to a pair of men, pulling one into the "dance" area. More people joined in as she once again pulled another man to the center of the plaza. That man grabbed a nearby woman's arm, who grabbed an older man's arm. The three of them soon began to dance with the rest. Rapunzel then skipped over to a woman who stood alone and hooked her arm around her elbow and pulled her into the dance.

Soon enough, the rest of the people in the plaza began to clap to the beat and the dancers took each other's hands and danced around the circle of Corona's flower in a line. The line broke off and people quickly found pairs to dance with. Merida removed her sheath and bow and set them down beside Angus.

"Come oan!" She pulled on Hiccup's hand.

"Whoa!" Hiccup quickly followed her, light on his feet. His prosthetic clicked against the ground. Jack flashed a smile. Eugene caught sight of Rapunzel as she motioned for him to join them. He held out his hand, refusing. However, Maximus had different plans.

The white horse booted Eugene forward, sending him right on to the dance floor. Jack caught the two loaves of bread that had been in Eugene's hands before they hit the ground. Eugene glared back at Maximus as a woman took his hand. Maximus whinnied and Pascal squeaked. Jack sniggered and placed the food in a pocket on the side of Maximus' saddle. Although Jack wanted to dance like the rest of them, he knew that most adults wouldn't be able to see him; his efforts would be pointless. Or so he thought.

There was a tug on Jack's shirt and he glanced down. A bright smile crossed his face. There at his side was Jenny; in her rose colored skirt, yellow shirt, black belt, brown shoes, long, white socks and five wild braids. "Jack! Will you dance with us?!" Jack then noticed Lainey, Stacey, and Agnes a few feet away.

"Of course!" He grinned. Jenny took his cold hand and led him over to the other fountain girls. More children joined them as the small group danced.

The sound of children laughing caught Rapunzel's attention and the corners of her mouth pulled up when she saw Jack dancing with the young children. Rapunzel switched partners. Not far away, she saw Merida and Hiccup dancing. Even with his prosthetic, Hiccup was light on his feet and was able to keep up with the music's tempo.

To her right, Eugene looked at her and outstretched his hand, an open invitation to dance with him. She nodded and extended her hand. It came time to switch partners again and they danced towards each other, however; before they could meet up, two people came between them and started dancing with each of them. Rapunzel gave Eugene a smile and danced with her partner.

The music began to speed up and the dancers began to dance faster. Rapunzel found herself spinning in circles across the center of the plaza until she collided with Eugene as the song abruptly ended. The pair looked into each other's eyes, smiled and panted for breath, exhausted from all the dancing.

"To the boats!" A Corona citizen called in the distance. Rapunzel shyly stepped away from Eugene. Hiccup, Merida, and Jack approached the pair.

"Nou whit?" Merida asked, panting for breath. The streets soon emptied.

"Everyone else is going to the ports." Hiccup pointed out.

Jack smirked. "Yeah, but we don't have a boat."

"You can rent gondolas for pretty cheap." Eugene shrugged. "But they only fit 2-3 people."

Jack nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. "Might as well." He smirked.

The group silently made their way down to the docks. "What are you guys going to do during the lanterns?" Rapunzel asked.

Jack frowned. "Watch from the bridge, I suppose." Rapunzel nodded and turned to face Hiccup and Merida.

"With the cover of night, Toothless can come out of hiding. So I'll spend time with him." Hiccup paused and turned to Merida. "Say, you let me ride Angus, why don't I give you a ride on Toothless?"

Merida's eyes popped open a little. "Really?"

"Sure, why not." Hiccup shrugged, a light smile on his lips.

"Okay, Ah guess." She shrugged back.

In the sky above, the sun quickly began to set. Once the group reached the docks, Eugene rented a gondola from a boat vender. Afterwards, he paused to speak with the group. "Where do you want to meet up after the lanterns?

Jack glanced across the large body of water. "See that large boulder on the shore? We could meet there."

"Sounds good." Eugene replied. Hiccup nodded. Pascal leapt from Maximus' back to Eugene's shoulder as Rapunzel quietly boarded the gondola.

"See you guys soon!" Rapunzel beamed. Merida waved as Eugene stepped in the gondola, grabbing an oar. Jack gave the gondola a push and it slowly moved away from the dock.

Hiccup, Jack, and Merida silently left the dock, leaving behind Maximus, who stared after Eugene and Rapunzel. Eugene glanced back at the white horse. "Hey Max!" He tossed a sack across the water, to the dock where nearly a dozen red apples spilled out on the deck. Maximus squinted at Eugene, who gave him a face and threw his arms out in defense. "What? I bought them." He began paddling as Maximus' head bent down to eat two apples. "Most of them." Maximus froze.

"Where are we going?" Rapunzel turned around to face Eugene as he placed Pascal on a wooden peace at the back of the gondola.

"Well, best day of your life, I figured you should have a decent seat."

The sun had completely set by the time Eugene had rowed the gondola far out into the water. In the distance, the kingdom of Corona was dark. Very few lights were lit, leaving the kingdom to face the night in darkness. Eugene turned the gondola so that the full kingdom was in view. After a minute, Rapunzel sighed, crossing her arms against the rim of the gondola. She looked down, unsure.

"You okay?" Eugene glanced at her.

"I'm terrified." She replied softly, slowly glancing at him.

He turned to face her. "Why?"

Rapunzel stared at the water. "I've been looking out a window for eighteen years," She glanced up at the castle. "Dreaming about what it might feel like when those lights rise in the sky." She paused. "What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?"

"It will be." The corners of Eugene's mouth pulled up.

Rapunzel sighed again and closed her eyes. "And what if it is? What do I do then?"

"Well, that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream." He shrugged. Rapunzel smiled at him before they both glanced up to the castle, waiting.

Several minutes pass and Rapunzel gradually grew bored. She silently picked a single flower from the bottom of her long braid and twirled it around in her hand by the stem. After a minute, she set it in the water and watched it slowly float away. She pulled another flower out of her hair, but at a different spot, and set it too in the water. This seemed to entertain her and she soon found that Eugene had taken the liberty of pulling random flowers out of her hair for her. She gave him a smile and decided which flower to put in first.

She daintily picked up a purple flower and laid it on top of the water, watching it follow the rest of the flowers. She smiled and glanced down at the water, seeing the reflection of Corona. Then she saw it, a small light that was reflected in the water. Her smile steadily dropped and her eyes widened. She looked up from the water and saw the light floating away from the castle.

She could almost sing the words that flooded her mind, after all that time; it was finally here. 'All those days watching from the windows, all those years outside looking in.' She scrambled to her feet, reaching the end of the gondola, where she held on. 'All that time, never even knowing, just how blind I've been. Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight.' She watched in awe as hundreds of lanterns floated into the sky, following the first one. 'Now I'm here, suddenly I see. Standing here, it's all so clear. I'm where im meant to be.'

Rapunzel sighed as the golden lanterns floated over Corona and across the water. Lanterns also floated away from nearby boats, lighting up the night sky. 'And at last I see the light, and it's like the fog has lifted. And at last I see the light, and it's like the sky is new. And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted.' The lanterns floated above the gondola and Rapunzel glanced up. 'All at once, everything looks different.'

A warm glow from behind her caught her attention and Rapunzel slowly turned away from the end of the gondola. Behind her, Eugene sat with two large lanterns in his hands, a smile on his face. 'Now that I see you.' Shock crossed her face and she giddily crossed the gondola to sit across from him. However, before she even took a lantern from his hand, she paused.

"I have something for you, too." She reached behind her and pulled out Eugene's satchel. Eugene's mouth popped open. "I should have given it to you before, but I was just scared. And the thing is, I'm not scared anymore. You know what I mean?"

To his own surprise, Eugene refused to take the satchel. He placed his hand on it and pushed it to the side. "I'm starting to."

Rapunzel smiled as Eugene handed her a lantern. Together, they launched their glowing lanterns into the air.

This time, it was Eugene's thoughts that made him want to sing; which was rare. 'All those days, chasing down a daydream. All those years living in a blur. All that time never truly seeing, things the way they were.' He glanced down at Rapunzel, the corners of his mouth pulling up. 'Now she's here, shining in the starlight.' Rapunzel beamed as a lantern floated toward them. She pointed excitedly and caught it, sending it back into the sky. 'Now she's here, suddenly I know. If she's here, it's crystal clear.' And then he made the first move and reached his left hand out to take her right hand. 'I'm where I'm meant to go.' Rapunzel's jaw popped open and she turned to face Eugene, taking his other hand in hers.

And as if they had heard each other's thoughts, the pair broke into song. "And at last I see the light."

Rapunzel paused to allow Eugene to have his own solo. "And it's like the fog has lifted."

Rapunzel breathed and they sang together again. "And at last I see the light."

"And it's like the sky is new." Eugene gave Rapunzel her own solo.

"And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted. All at once, everything is different. Now that I see you." They sang together. They slowly leaned in towards each other. Behind them, Pascal blushed a deep red and covered his eyes. "Now that I see you." Eugene brushed aside a piece of hair from her face and placed his hand around her jaw, thumb in front of her ear. They slowly leaned in and Rapunzel closed her eyes.

Eugene had nearly closed his eyes when something in the distance caught his eyes and he glanced up. In the distance, the Stabbington brothers stood on the shore of the mainland, lit by a single green lantern. He watched them slowly walk off and he knew that they were meaning for him to follow.

Rapunzel opened her eyes and sat up. "Is…. Everything okay?"

Eugene straightened. "Huh? Oh, yes, uh, huh. Yes, of course. I just…" He glanced down at the satchel. He knew he had to fix this.

Abruptly, Eugene rowed the gondola to the mainland's shore. "I'm sorry, everything is fine. There's just something I have to take care of." He picked up the satchel.

Rapunzel continued to sit in the gondola, nervously eyeing the satchel. "O-okay."

"I'll be right back." He took a step back and turned to go, but paused. "I promise." He looked over his shoulder sadly before walking into the distance, disappearing into the night.

Pascal crawled on to Rapunzel's shoulder and she looked at him. "It's alright, Pascal." She spoke to reassure the chameleon, but more importantly, to reassure herself. Her heart raced in her chest and she felt numb. She couldn't put her finger on what was happening.

Minutes later, she hopped out of the gondola and began to pace a little before she hugged the end of the gondola, terrified and alone. She glanced back in the direction that Eugene had left and let out a sigh of relief as a figure walked toward her.

"I was starting to think you ran off with the crown and left me." She smiled and glanced at Pascal before glancing back at the figure. However, as the figure drew closer, it also grew larger. Much larger than Eugene. And then to her horror, the dark figure split into two large figures.

Rapunzel's smile dropped and her eyes widened. "He did." One of the Stabbington brothers spoke as they approached her.

"What? No, he wouldn't." Rapunzel straightened.

"See for yourself." The same brother extended his hand toward the water.

Rapunzel uneasily walked past them and glanced across the water, catching sight of a small sail boat. "Eugene." She squinted. Sure enough, she saw Eugene at the wheel, steering the boat towards Corona. "Eugene!" She cried out.

A Stabbington brother walked up behind her, feeling her hair. "Fair trade, a crown for the girl with the magic hair?"

Rapunzel abruptly turned around. "How much do you think someone would pay to stay young and healthy forever?" The same brother continued to speak, pulling out a large bag from behind his back.

"No, please." Rapunzel threw up her hands in defense. The brothers closed in on her, holding the bag to pull it over her head. "No!" She ran away quickly. She was actually running so fast that she tripped, but caught herself and continued running. She ran around the large boulder where she and Eugene were supposed to meet the others and leapt over a large log. However, as she leapt over the log, the end part of her braid got caught on a branch. "No!" She tugged on her hair, trying to get free. The Stabbington brothers would catch up with her in no time.

However, they didn't come. She listened intently as sounds came from behind the boulder. Grunts and moans echoed off of the water as the sound continued. Rapunzel was finally able to set herself free of the log.

The sounds came to a cease and a voice cried out into the night. Jack's voice. "Rapunzel?!"


	11. Chapter 10: Darkness Prevails

Chapter 10: Darkness Prevails

A cool breeze flowed through the air and the sound of water on rock broke the silence. "Toothless!" Hiccup called out, silently walking through the forest. "Toothless, where are ya bud?!" Merida walked beside Hiccup, leading Angus by the reigns.

The sun had set a long time ago and the forest grew dark, making it impossible to see where they were going. "Toothless?" Merida called.

Hiccup cupped his hands around his mouth. "Toothless!" How long had they been searching for that dragon? "Toothless?"

"Whaur could 'e be?" Merida asked. The pair stopped.

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't know, but we should head back, maybe we just missed him."

Merida nodded. "Come oan, lut's heed back." Hiccup sighed and they turned around, heading back towards the bridge.

"Toothless?" Hiccup called again. They continued walking through the dark forest, barely able to see. Hiccup grew silent.

Merida glanced at him. "We'll find 'im." Hiccup simply nodded and another silence enveloped them.

Hiccup smirked and spoke after several minutes of silence, disliking the quiet. "Hey, Merida, how do you feel about nicknames?"

"Nicknames? Ah've ne'er hud one." Merida shrugged. "Utter than Wee Lassie, frae mah parents. Whit aboot ye?"

"Nothing but Hiccup the Useless." He replied.

Merida frowned. "Mebbe et _es_ time fur new nicknames."

"Well, what would be a good one for me?" Hiccup asked.

Merida thought for a minute. "Hic."

Hiccup nodded. "Alright, and how about I call you Mer?"

"Sounds guid tae me." Merida flashed him a smile. She suddenly frowned. "Whit's that?" She pointed ahead.

At the edge of the forest, a large figure sat. Hiccup squinted. "Toothless!" the figure turned and bounded toward them. Sure enough, Toothless stood before them, tongue flopping out of his mouth. "Where have you been, bud?" The dragon cooed and licked the young Viking's face. Hiccup laughed. "Good to see you, too." Merida smiled. "Toothless, do you want to go for a flight?" Merida tied Angus' reigns to a tree branch.

The dragon cooed once more and folded his wings, allowing them to sit on his back. Hiccup quickly mounted Toothless. "Come on."

Merida lightly sat behind Hiccup on Toothless' back. Hiccup set the gears and prepared for takeoff. "'Whaur dae Ah hauld oan?'" Merida teased, quoting him.

Hiccup just glanced over his left shoulder and grinned. "'Just hold on to me'." He quoted her teasingly. Merida sniggered and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Let's go bud." Toothless' bat-like wings unfolded and he lowered to the ground before pushing off through the trees and into the sky. The wind blew back their hair as Toothless continued to climb through the air. Just below the cloud line, Toothless leveled himself out and flew through a calm breeze.

"Wow." Merida's blue eyes widened, glancing down at the kingdom below. "Thes es amazin'!" Hiccup lightly smiled and closed his eyes, enjoying the cool breeze. There was silence for a long moment. "Hey, Hic?"

"Yes?" He opened his eyes and glanced over his right shoulder at her.

"Whit's et like fleeing en Berk?" She asked quietly.

Hiccup thought for a moment. "It's a lot like this, but a lot colder. There's also a little but more wind."

"Et soonds nice." She breathed. She closed her eyes, enjoying the wind that blew her wild red hair out of her face. "Et's so… free." The corners of her mouth pulled up.

Hiccup smiled contently. He had never thought of flying on Toothless as being free, but now that she had said it, he realized she was right. "Yeah, it is." On Toothless' back, he didn't have to worry about anything; no rules, no expectations.

Toothless cooed and flapped his bat-like wings, and found another wind that would help him soar through the air. "Ah can see Rapunzel an' Eugene frae haur." Merida pointed out the gondola on the lake below.

"Rapunzel must be so excited to see the lanterns." Hiccup spoke after a minute.

"Yeah." Merida smiled.

Hiccup glanced ahead and gasped. "Look!" Merida glanced at Corona. Ahead, a single light floated into the sky. They watched in awe as hundreds of floating lanterns floated into the sky. Toothless harrumphed happily. They watched in silence as the lanterns floated over the lake and through the sky, and then over the forest.

"Nou, thes, thes es amazin'. Ah've ne'er seen anythin' loch thes!" Merida breathed as Toothless continued to circle around Corona and the lanterns.

"Yeah… It's truly something." Hiccup responded, smiling halfheartedly.

Hours passed and the lanterns eventually passed and the lanterns eventually passed over the forest and continued to head to head towards distance villages, carried by the light wind. "Hic?" Merida asked after a while.

"Yes?" He glanced over his shoulder once more.

"Shooldnaet we be gettin' back tae th' others by nou?" She asked, watching the boats below return to the docks of Corona.

"Yeah, we probably should." Hiccup turned back around. "Toothless, let's head back to the forest, bud." Toothless let out a grumble, but turned in the right direction and soared towards the mainland's shore.

Jack walked slowly form the docks, unsure of what else to do. Behind him, Maximus had stayed behind to eat the apples Eugene had given him while Hiccup, Merida and Angus continued on, heading towards the forest. Jack could only feel alone. Perhaps he was meant to be that way, alone forever, after all, he had been alone for three hundred years. Jack sighed and gripped his staff, leaving the docks. He silently walked through Corona towards the white entrance. The streets had long since cleared. The only thing Jack could hear was the running fountain near the white entrance. Jack hesitantly paused, pondering what to do. After a moment, he silently walked over to the fountain and sat on its ledge, facing the running water. He crossed his legs and ran his right hand through the water, which was surprisingly warm to his icy body. Occasionally, Jack would poke the water with his staff, freezing the surface for a matter of second before the warm water thawed itself again. Jack did this until the light faded from the sky.

He finally stood, shaking the water from his hands. Jack grabbed his staff and made his way through the white entrance, to the bridge. Jack glanced up at the night sky, finding the moon in the sky.

_I'm here, jack. _The moon shone down on him. _You're not alone._

Jack's blue eyes pricked with tears. "Thanks." He barely spoke, croaking the simple word in gratitude before blinking away the water in his eyes. No matter how many times he had nearly cried, he didn't… He couldn't. Even now, he couldn't. Jack slowly continued walking, eventually stopping half way through the bridge. He leapt up on to the bridge's wall and sat, his staff crossed over his lap. He silently stared out into the water of the lake. He glanced at the ships and gondolas that were anchored off shore. He even tried to search for Eugene and Rapunzel's gondola, but that didn't take long to find. He soon caught sight of Rapunzel's blonde hair in the distance and the corners of his mouth pull up for a minute. Rapunzel was finally getting her dream.

Jack sighed, slowing starting to feel content. A beam of moonlight shone down on Jack's shoulder. The light was bright enough to warm Jack's shoulder, giving him the feeling of someone's hand resting on him. He forced a smile. "Thank you… for everything." Silence enveloped Jack as he closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze.

Eventually, Jack opened his eyes and glanced towards Corona. The kingdom had gone completely dark since he first sat on the bridge. Surely the lanterns would be released soon. Jack lightly frowned. And then he saw it. In the distance, just above the castle was a small speck of light. Jack's frown dropped and his eyes sparked with joy. The right corner of his mouth pulled up first before the left. He watched in awe as hundreds of other lanterns followed the first one.

And then something happened. The joy of seeing the lanterns had warmed his lonely heart and something inside him sparked. Jack had found his voice. "All those years, sitting in the shadows." He softly sang, watching the lanterns descend on Corona. "All those years, doubting who I was." The dark night had become lit with hundreds of lanterns. "All that time never even knowing, how happy I could've been. Now I'm here, watching floating lanterns." The lanterns filled the air and descended over the lake, lighting up the ships and gondolas on the tranquil water. "Now I'm here, no longer alone. Sitting here, it's all so clear. I know what I must do." Jack smiled as more lanterns floated above him. He steadily stood up on the bridge's wall, trying to get closer to the lanterns.

"And at last I see the light, and it's like the darkness has faded." A small cylindrical lantern descended towards him and he leapt up into the air, staff in hand, to push it back into the sky. A light smile formed on his face. "And at last I see the light and It's like my life is new. And it's happy and real and loved. And the life I wanted is here." Jack walked along the wall of the bridge. "All at once, everything is different. Now that I have them." He glanced at Rapunzel and Eugene's gondola in the distance. Jack sat down again after a minute. He glanced up, only to glance back down when he felt something other than his staff in his hands. To his surprise, the other object was a rectangular; glowing lantern. Jack's jaw popped open. In this moment he realized there was still magic in Corona. After a minute, he lightly sent the lantern floating into the sky. "All those years, wanting to be believed in. all those years, living life alone." He watched his lantern float off into the distance. "All that time, never truly seeing, how great my life had been." A light breeze picked up, carrying the lanterns over the water and to the mainland. "Now they're here, bringing my heart joy. Now they're here, suddenly I know. If they're here, it's all so clear. I know what I must do."

The lanterns began to disappear into the distance, carried by the breeze. Corona steadily began to grow dark, but Jack continued to watch the lanterns in awe. "And at last I see the light. And it's like the darkness has faded. And at last I see the light. And it's like my life is new. And its happy and real and loved. And the life I wanted is here. All at once, everything is different, now that I have them." The lanterns finally ascended form the lake and disappeared in the distance. Jack stared longingly after them. "Now that I have them."

The ships and gondolas sailed back toward Corona as the dark of night took over, all except one that was. Jack smiled upon seeing the docked gondola on the shore. In the distance, Jack could see Rapunzel standing on the shore, pacing. Jack's thick eyebrows slowly pulled together. She was alone. Jack gripped his staff and scrambled to his feet. Something was wrong. Where was Eugene? Jack soon found himself running down the bridge, staff in hand. He kept his eyes trained on Rapunzel as he ran. However, he watched in horror as two large men approached her in the distance. "Rapunzel!" He breathed. He suddenly remembered then that he could fly and he launched himself into the air, flying across the lake.

When he reached the shore, Jack landed on the boulder where the group had agreed to meet. Below him, Rapunzel stood with her back facing the two men, staring at the lake.

"Fair trade, a crown for the girl with the magic hair?" One of the men walked up behind her and felt her hair. Jack's eyebrows furrowed together. Rapunzel turned around, eyes wide with horror. "How much do you think someone would pay to stay young and healthy forever?" The same man pulled a large bag from behind his back.

Jack's nostrils flared and he gripped his staff tightly in his hand. "No, please!" Rapunzel cried out. "No!" She ran as fast as she could. Jack leapt off of the boulder as the large men followed her. "No!" Rapunzel cried in the distance, panicked.

Jack gripped his staff tightly in his hands and made his move. He attacked the man with the bag, whacking him in the back of the head. A loud groan escaped the man's lips as he sunk to his knees, dazed. Jack quickly hit the other brother on the head with his staff. The first one shook his head and stumbled to his feet. He turned to face his assailant, but stopped, confused. Jack realized that the brothers couldn't see him and he took the opportunity to punch he first brother square in the face. Jack could feel a large crack run along the length of his hand. The large man stumbled backwards, colliding with a large rock behind him. Finally, the man collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Jack let out a hiss of pain, but breathed and turned to face the other brother, who still knelt on his knees, confused. Jack spun his staff, whacking the brother twice in the head. The man grunted and stumbled to his feet, swinging his arms. Jack launched himself at a nearby rock, fleeing the man's large, swinging arms. Jack perched there for only a fraction of a second before he jumped down on the brother, knocking him down to the ground. He sent the end of his staff at the man's head, finally rendering him unconscious.

Jack panted before he cried out into the night. "Rapunzel?!" Jack continued to pant as held his right hand in his left. He had injured it when he punched the first brother in the face. He must have fractured his fourth and fifth metacarpals, a bar room fracture. Jack hissed at the tenderness of his hand, by now, his hand had become swollen and began to show signs of bruising around his knuckles. Jack stumbled forward, needing to find Rapunzel. But she found him.

Rapunzel scrambled around a rock, finding him. "Oh, Jack!" She sobbed, running up to him. Jack carefully wrapped his arms around her.

"Shh," He breathed. "I'm here." He paused. "Where's Eugene?"

Rapunzel abruptly grew silent and sniffed. "I… H-he… he's… gone." She stuttered. "He took the crown… and left." She sobbed.

Jack frowned. "I thought you left the crown at your tower."

Rapunzel slowly pulled away. She had forgotten about the subject. "I..I didn't tell anyone…. The first night at the river, my mother arrived when everyone was gone and you were asleep. She tossed me the crown when I refused to leave with her." She sniffed.

"You should have told me." Jack's eyes widened.

Rapunzel glanced down, ashamed. She suddenly gasped. "Your hand!" Jack carefully held up his fractured hand. He glanced at the two unconscious men. Rapunzel then saw them and her eyes filled with tears. "Thank you."

"It's what friends do." Jack gave her a shy smile. "Besides, it's my job to protect you."

"Here, let me heal it." She pulled her braid around. She very tenderly wrapped the end of the braid around his fractured hand. She sang her song fairly quickly, not wanting her friend to suffer longer than he had to. "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine." Golden light shot down the length of her braid. "Heal what has been hurt, change the fates design. Save what has been lost. Bering back what once was mine. What once was mine." She unwrapped her hair from around his hand.

Jack breathed. "Thanks." He clinched and unclenched his hand, feeling the bones move as they should.

"'It's what friends do.'" She smiled, eyes tight. She slowly turned towards the lake, watching it with longing eyes. She could practically feel her heart breaking in her chest. Tears came to her eyes and she slowly sank to her knees. "Why does it hurt so much?" She let out a sob. Jack shook his head sadly and sat down beside her, wrapping his arms around her. He knew how she felt about Eugene. "If this is love," She sniffed. "I don't want it." She paused, letting out another sob. "Take it from me. Please." As she spoke, Jack couldn't help but feel his own ice heart breaking too. He never wanted Rapunzel to have to deal with this. "Why does it hurt so much?" She muttered again.

Jack didn't answer for a minute. He couldn't find the words. Something about the entire situation they were in was off. Jack sighed, confused. And then it hit him. And somehow he knew it was true. "Because it was real." Rapunzel froze in his arms.

She slowly pulled away, glancing into his ice blue eyes. "B-but why would he do this?" She sobbed. "Why would he leave?" Jack shook his head sadly. A cold wind picked up and Rapunzel shivered involuntarily. Jack dropped his hands from her shoulders, knowing he'd only make her colder.

A sound came in the distance and the pair glanced around. The sound reminded Jack of a kettle that had begun to steam and then rapidly began to steam even more until it sounded like it was going to explode. Jack squinted in time to watch a large black figure soar over the lake and land on the rocky shore. Rapunzel let out a small sigh of relief as Merida and Hiccup dismounted a content Toothless. Pascal squeaked on Rapunzel's shoulder.' Hiccup's smile slowly faded. "Where's Eugene?" Rapunzel sniffed.

"He's gone… He took the satchel and ran." Jack explained.

"What?" Hiccup gasped under his breath. Merida walked up to the pair and placed a pale hand on Rapunzel's shoulder. Rapunzel continued to kneel on the ground, while Jack slowly stood up.

"Ah'm sorry." Merida smirked. Rapunzel only nodded.

"Now what?" Hiccup asked after a minute. The three of them looked at Jack hopelessly.

Jack glanced at Hiccup. He knew they still had to tell Rapunzel that she was the princess of Corona. But in this moment, his heart almost broke even thinking about the fact that he was about to tell his best friend that her entire life was a lie. Jack gave Hiccup a pained look. Hiccup nodded, understanding that now was not the best time. "I don't know." Jack spoke. "I suppose we should make camp for tonight."

Another cold breeze picked up, causing Jack's friends to shiver. The girls huddled together. "Jack," Merida spoke after a minute of cold, teeth chattering. "Please teel me ye arenae makin' tha' cold win'."

"No, I'm not." Jack frowned. In fact, he wasn't controlling any weather at all right now. His eyebrows pulled together. Something wasn't right. Jack glanced at his staff. He gripped his hand around it and made a snowflake in his other hand. The staff glowed blue for a fraction of a second and then returned back to normal. The snowflake was blown away in the wind. It wasn't defective in any way. Hiccup joined the girls in their small penguin huddle. Toothless lumbered up behind them and sat back on his hind legs. He opened his bat-like wings and wrapped them around the trio, blocking the wind. However, the wind only seemed to pick up, growing colder.

"What is going on?" Hiccup shouted over the now howling wind.

"I have no idea!" Jack responded. He glanced up at the sky, searching for the moon. Jack's frown only deepened more. Neither the moon nor the stars were in sight, they were simply gone, as if they had been turned off like a light or covered by a blanket of darkness. "But I don't like it, let's head towards the forest, it will provide more cover against the wind. Maybe we can find some large trees that are together to set up camp!"

The other three simply nodded and followed Jack into the forest. Although it was incredibly dark in the forest, the wind died down quite a bit. The three of them sighed in relief. "Good thinking, Jack." Rapunzel shivered. Merida and Hiccup breathed, nodding.

However, Jack didn't respond. A sound in the distance caught his attention and he gripped his staff tightly in both hands, pointed forward. Toothless let out a low growl and bared his retractable teeth, pupils becoming small slits in his softball sized eyes.

"Whit es et?" Merida asked. She pulled her bow over her head and nocked an arrow. A whinny in the distance answered her. Jack frowned. It grew silent and then the wind abruptly stopped. Rapunzel glanced nervously at the others.

"I have to say." A low voice echoed through the dark forest, ringing in their ears. "This is very, very exciting." There was a brief pause. "The Big Four, all in one place." These words echoed in Jack's mind and a memory from the not too distant past pulled up. He had heard these exact words before and in a very similar way. "I'm a little star-struck."

Jack's frown quickly turned to hatred and he tightly gripped his staff. In the darkness, Jack's staff began to turn a bright blue and the sound of ice cracking filled the silent forest. "Pitch." Jack spoke the single name, the one he despised most.

A dark chuckle echoed through the forest. "Miss me, Frost?" Toothless growled. There was another pause and the voice grew closer, but still echoed through the air. "Oooh, a Night Fury. I'm so terrified." Rapunzel glanced at Merida and Hiccup. Merida's hands tightened around her bow.

"Pitch, come out of hiding, you coward!" Jack shouted.

"Heh. Heh. Who's hiding?" The same voice spoke from behind them, the group turned around to find Pitch calmly standing before them. Hiccup, Merida, and Rapunzel's eyes widened. No amount of descriptions could have prepared them for the ghastly sight in front of them. For the man that stood before them was just as horrifying as his name. Pitch Black was an extremely tall man, towering over the group at a staggering seven feet. In a crowd in the daylight, he would be hard to miss. In addition, his face was like no other. It was long and narrow. He had sharp cheekbones and a long, pointed chin. His thin lips were black and his teeth were jagged and grey. His nose was anchor shaped and he had narrow eyes. In the darkness, his wide irises shown a brilliant gold. His eyes captivated their attention and stared into their souls, soaking in their fears. Dark shadows hid most of his face, contorting it. He had no eyebrows and his raven black hair was uneven, as if it had once been long enough to be in a ponytail, then was cut with a jagged knife, then brushed up and back.

His ears were funky shaped and he had a long, wide neck. He had broad shoulders, thin arms, thin, long legs and a lean torso. On top of his dark features, his skin was a deathly grey. He wore a long black robe that appeared to be made of some thick material. It's sleeves went down to his thin wrists and his robe dragged on the ground behind him. Beneath his jet black robe, his long legs were concealed by tights-like pants. At the end of his thin wrists were his long, paper-thin hands.

Rapunzel staggered a step back, hiding behind Merida, who stood her ground. Toothless protectively stood beside Hiccup. Jack gripped his staff and rigidly stepped in front of his friends. He knew he had to protect them. A dark whinny echoed through the forest and a nightmare walked up behind Pitch.

"Ah, Onyx." Pitch's black lips pulled up into a dark smile, revealing his grey smile. The dark horse was nearly as tall as he was and her gold eyes were nearly just as horrifying. Her head was narrow and long and her sleek black body was covered in rigid bumps. She was completely made up of sparkling black sand. Her ears were small and her thin legs were long. "Do you smell that?" He hummed to her. Her wide nostrils breathed in and she let out a dark whinny. "The smell of fear?"

"Why are you here, Pitch?" Jack's eyes tightened.

Pitch breathed and slowly began to walk around them in circles. "Well, you see I wasn't here by choice…. At first." He spoke in a low voice. "You see, I was summoned here, by a witch." Jack watched Pitch's every move. "The funny thing is, you know her. But what does that matter, anyways, now I'm here for business." Toothless straightened and bared his teeth at Onyx, who had unnoticeably drawn closer. Onyx snorted.

"And what would that be?" Jack asked, even though he already knew the answer. He knew Pitch wanted him on his side, after all, what went better together than cold and dark? If Jack wouldn't join him, Pitch would try to kill him. He'd done it before, he'd do it again.

"You know that answer." Pitch chuckled. He eyed Toothless. "Hiccup, is it?" He glanced at the Viking. Hiccup's heart stopped. "Your dragon seems to be the only one here that fears nothing." Toothless snorted, watching the man and Onyx.

Jack spoke through clenched teeth. "Get to the point, Pitch."

Pitch paused, glancing at Jack. His golden eyes sparked in the darkness. "You all are afraid of something." He continued to walk. "And fears…. Lead to secrets." His golden eyes scanned Rapunzel. The group glanced among each other. "Shall I start with you, Jack?" He sneered. "You never told her." He let the phrase sink in. "Not about Corona; you never told her all of those weeks ago." Jack slowly lowered his staff, face pained. "You see, Rapunzel, Jack is in love with you."

Jack bowed his head. He couldn't look at Rapunzel. Not because he was angry at her, but because he didn't want her to see the hurt on his face. Behind him, Rapunzel's mouth popped open and her green eyes filled with tears.

"And you choose Eugene… over him." Pitch reveled in the sorrow that his words brought. Rapunzel bowed her head, disappointed in herself. "And Hiccup." He turned to the boy. "You weren't overly reluctant to leave Berk, were you?" Pitch walked towards the group. "Not because of your demanding father, or all the attention you were getting; but because of Astrid."

Jack glanced over at Hiccup, confused. Merida also looked at him. "You didn't tell them?" Pitch continued. "After the battle of the Red Death, you and Astrid dated. That was, until she left you for Snotlout." Hiccup breathed and glanced sadly at Jack. Finally Jack understood. It wasn't because Snotlout still picked on him, Hiccup's decision to freeze Snotlout's house was out of revenge for Astrid. Hiccup lowered his gaze to the ground.

There was a silence and then Pitch spoke again. "But they aren't the only ones keeping secrets, are they, princess?" Hiccup and Jack's eyebrows pulled together and they glanced at the girls. Rapunzel looked just as shocked as they were and the three of them looked at Merida. Merida's jaw became as set as stone and her blue eyes smoldered with hatred. "You, of everyone, have the most secrets, Merida." Merida felt her bow slip from her fingers. "Princess Merida Dunbroch, you ran away from home in fear of marriage. You broke your parent's hearts to keep your freedom." Pitch continued. "In fact, this isn't the first time you've run away from marriage. I take it you didn't tell them about the time you turned your own mother into a demon bear." Merida's mouth popped open.

"Merida," Rapunzel spoke with a horrified look. "Is it true?"

Merida glanced into Jack's eyes, then Hiccup's, and then Rapunzel's. In every single one she saw distrust, disgust and horror. In this moment, Merida wanted to collapse to the ground and be done with. To see her friends look at her this way killed her. "Aye." Her voice cracked. She dropped her gaze.

Jack gripped his staff tightly in his hand. "Did you get what you wanted, Pitch?!" He shouted. Pitch sneered but slowly stepped backward. His golden eyes sparked and he disappeared into the darkness.

"Not yet," Pitch's low voice echoed around them. Jack watched in horror as Onyx also retreated into the darkness. A dark fog enveloped the group. Merida quickly picked up her bow. Toothless let out a growl. The dark fog made it impossible to see. Hiccup grabbed onto Toothless' saddle. Merida drew back her bow, prepared to fire. Jack stumbled forward. Rapunzel lost all sight of the group.

"Jack?" She cried out, stumbling over a tree's root.

"Over here!" She heard him call from a few feet away. She stumbled forward, arms extended. Jack glanced around, through the fog and then up at the trees. Rapunzel came into view and she grabbed his hand, not wanting to get lost again. He could see the terror on her f ace. "Pitch, what do you want!?" Jack hollered. Even thought they had secrets, they were still his friends and he had to protect them, after all, he was a guardian. However, there was no answer. Rapunzel stood facing Jack, unsure what to do. All she could do was continue to hold on to his hand. In that moment, Jack had reacted quickly. For he had glanced above Rapunzel's head and saw Pitch through the fog, standing above the trees on a sand-made stand, an arrow in his hands. Horror crossed his pale face and he pushed Rapunzel out of the way.

Rapunzel fell to the ground, scraping her right arm on the dirt. She couldn't grasp why Jack had pushed her and she shook her head, dazed. She slowly looked up and then she realized what he had done. Her green eyes widened and she let out a cry.

Jack felt the shock run down his spine, causing his fingers to tremble. He felt his wooden staff slip from his right hand and for the first time in centuries, his body ran cold. Jack's eyes slowly widened and he let out a choked cry. His chest became tight and a pain shot up his shoulders and down his stomach. The pain was so great he could hardly breathe. Jack stumbled back a step. His mind became numb and his vision blurred. His body felt heavy and he glanced down. Jack let out a shaky breath as he took in the large sand arrow that pierced his chest. He could feel his chest give in and he collapsed to his knees in agony. This sand arrow was different from the one that had killed sandy. This arrow looked much like one of Merida's, but its shaft was covered in sharp thorns, acting much like barbed wire. Rapunzel watched in horror.

"Jack!" She cried out. She scrambled to his side as he fell limp to the ground. He laid on his back with his cold hands on his chest, around the arrow that impaled him. His extremely pale skin grew even paler to the point where he looked pure white. The black fog around the pair ascended, revealing Pitch's damage. "Jack!" Rapunzel placed her hands on either side of his cold face. Tears welled in her large green eyes. There was emptiness in his eyes as he looked back at her. "Stay with me." She sobbed. The barbed arrow in his chest disintegrated, leaving behind a large black circle on his chest. Jack shakily breathed as his skin rapidly began to fade to a deathly grey. Rapunzel trembled in terror. He was fading so fast. Tears rolled down her round cheeks. The black circle on his chest began to expand, shooting across his chest and down his stomach. Within seconds, his entire torso was black. Jack knew what was happening. He had seen it before, with Sandy.

"Rapunzel." He choked out as the black sand reached his thighs and shoulders. He let his head fall to the side. Rapunzel scooted closer, listening intently, her left hand still on his cheek. "When the guardians come, tell them to get Jaime." Rapunzel made a pained face and nodded. He could barely speak. The blackness had now claimed his arms and legs. Tears continued to roll down Rapunzel's cheeks. Merida scrambled over, hearing what he had said. Tears also ran down her round face. The blackness began to creep up his neck, swirling around his cheek bones. "Please, go." He choked. "Run! Don't let them catch you!" He urged them, barely able to talk above a whisper. He didn't want to die in vain. "Go!" Merida stood and pulled at Rapunzel. Jack barely was able to fix his head so that he was looking up. The blackness wrapped around the back of his head, turning his white hair black. He could no longer feel the rest of his body. "Hiccup, tell her for me."

"No!" Rapunzel sobbed. She couldn't leave him. Hiccup choked back a sob and did as he was ordered. He tugged at Toothless' saddle, pulling the dragon away. Above them, the fog disappeared, revealing the moon and the stars. "No." She sobbed again as Merida yanked at her. She continued to kneel at Jack's side, watching the revealed stars and moon reflect in Jack's nearly lifeless eyes.

"Rapunzel, we hae tae gae!" Merida urged her. "Daenae make 'im die en vain!" Finally, Rapunzel gave up, realizing the truth behind her words. She stood, glanced at Jack for a last time and then ran into the forest. Merida looked down at Jack, who gave her a final nod. "Please forgife me fur e'erythang." She spoke. Jack's blue eyes sparked and she understood that he forgave her.

"Take my staff." He choked. She nodded and picked up the wooden object. Then she, Hiccup, and Toothless disappeared into the woods. Jack's eyes became lifeless, finally defeated. A dark chuckle filled his ears and he silently watched as Pitch descended from the sky to watch Jack's final seconds. "You… finally… got… what you…. Wanted." He could barely utter the words, for the sand hand wrapped around the front of his face, beginning to cover his forehead and most of his jaw, making it impossible to move. Jack blinked and looked up at the moon, hopeless.

And in his final seconds, a single ray of moonlight shown down on Jack. _I'm so sorry, Jack. _

"I would say have fun, but there isn't any left." Pitch chuckles. Jack took a final breath. At least he died being a guardian, he continued to watch the moon, and finally, a blanket of darkness covered his eyes. Pitch approached Jack's sand form and touched his form with a toe and grinned darkly in content as his form disintegrated into millions of particles of black sand. Pitch glanced up at the bright moon. "Don't look at me like that, Old Friend. You knew this day would come." He paused. "At last, darkness prevails!"

Merida ran through the forest, fleeing. The cold wind nipped at her face, making it numb. She no longer could feel her legs, but she kept running, numb with sorrow. Her hair flew behind her and her sheath hit her leg every time she made a stride. Her lungs felt tight and she couldn't breathe, but she continued to run.

"Merida!" Hiccup shouted behind her, several paces behind. "Stop!" He tried to breathe. They had been running for minutes, non-stop. But Merida just kept running. "Merida!" He called after her and stopped, gasping for air. Toothless whimpered. Hiccup breathed and looked up at the dragon. He stumbled forward and scrambled on to Toothless' back, quickly setting the gears. "Get ahead of her, bud." Toothless launched off of the ground and soared underneath the trees, watching carefully for branches. They quickly sped ahead and landed lightly on the ground. Hiccup quickly dismounted the dragon, looking at Merida. Her stride faltered and she abruptly tried to slow down, not wanting to run into them. She stumbled forward, tripping over a rock. Hiccup barely caught her before she fell.

Merida sank to her knees, gasping for air rapidly. Hiccup slowly knelt down beside her, his right hand on her left shoulder. She let out a sob, her chest collapsing in. "Hey." Hiccup shifted to face her. "Everything's going to be fine." He spoke quietly. Toothless cooed.

"Nae, ets naet!" She sobbed. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to pull herself together. "Jack es dead. Dead! Eugene laeft us. Rapunzel es missin'. An' we have naeway tae git baeck home. We 're stuck oan eh different coontree en eh different tyme period wi' eh lunatic, evil spirit. E'erythang es nae gon tae be fine!" She glanced down at the wooden staff in her pale hands and sniffed. "An' moast ay ah, Pitch has maede me luik like Ah'm eh horrible person."

Hiccup slowly dropped his hand from her shoulder and sat down in front of her, dropping his gaze. She was right. He frowned. "I know." He sighed hopelessly. After a minute, he spoke through ground teeth. "Was everything Pitch said about you true?" He asked.

"Aye." She blinked, hopelessly lowering her gaze.

"So… everything you told us was a lie?" He looked at her pointedly.

"Nae." She replied loudly, looking him in the eyes. "E'erythang Ah e'er said tae ye guys waes t'e truth, Ah jest Daenae teel ye t'e whole truth."

"Then can you tell me the whole truth?" Hiccup asked. "And the whole story."

Merida nodded. "t'e story ay mah faither an' t'e demon bear Mor'Du waes true. Mah faither, t'e keng, haed been oan eh trip arooned t'e kengdum. Baefowr mah sixte'nth birthday, mah mum haed sent letters tae t'e Clans Dingwall, MacGuffin, an' Macintosh. Ah later lea'ned tha' t'ey were anooncements fur mah betrothal. Ah waes sae aengry at mah muther. Naet ance dae ah git whit ah wanted an' fur ance ah jest wanted mah freedom. But mah muther ignored me. Oan t'e day ay mah betrothal, ah rebelled against mah muther. Accordin' tae Scottish heritage, t'e princess' hand en marriage haed tae be fought en t'e festival known aes t'e Highland Games. Ah, houe'er, cuid choose t'e event en which mah suitors competed en. Ay coorse, Ah choose archery. Thaur waes only une suitor tha' actually maede eh bulls eye, an' et waes really jest luck. Nae ay mah suitors waur suitable fur me. Tha's when Ah tuik action. Ah haed brought mah bow an' Ah shot fur mah own hand, shooting t'ree bulls eyes. Houe'er t'e wedding wisna oaf, sae ah ran away an' stumbled upon eh witch's cottage; whaur Ah received eh speall that wuid chaenge mah faete by chaengen' mah mum.

"But t'e speall wisna whit Ah thought et was. Insteed ay chaengen' mah mums mind aboot t'e wedding, et chaenged 'er intae eh bear. Taeget'er, we ran away, terrified. We laeter lea'ned tha' ef t'e speall wisna reversed, t'e speall wuid be permanent. When Whisps laed us tae ehn abandoned kengdum, we realized tha' tae reverse t'e speall we haed tae fix t'e family tapestry ah destroyed when Ah waes aengry wi' mah mum. T'e witch haed alsa given us eh, ah guess ye cuid say, prophecy to reverse t'e speall. "Faete be chaenged, luik ensyde. Mend t'e bond, toarn by pride." Tha's hou we knew we haed tae fix t'e tapestry. Houe'er we alsa ran intae t'e demon bear, Mor'Du an' ah barely escaped wi' mah life. Aftawards, we tried tae sneak back intae t'e castle. But en t'e tou daeys we waur goune, t'e clans haed turned against etch utter. Mah mum cuidnae braek oop t'e fight, sae ah haed tae insteed.

"Ah suin haed tae give eh speech tha' mah mum haed tae help wi' by signallin' me across t'e roum. Ah spoake whit she signaled me and Ah waes suin surprised when mah mum tould me tae say tha' we decided tae break tradition an' follow oor hearts fur love. Mah mum haed finally understood. Houe'er aes mah mum an' Ah waur fixin' t'e tapestry, mah faither found us an' believed she waes Mor'du. He also believed tha' Mor'Du haed killed 'er because 'e haed found 'er ripped dress. Mah mum raen en fear an' mah faither released e'eryone oan 'er an; chased 'er intae t'e fowrest. Ah fixed t'e tapestry an' ruashed afta 'em whaur Ah fought against mah faither to save mah mum's life. Tha' waes 'till t'e real Mor'Du shoued oop. T'e Scotsmen cuidnae fight against Mor'Du an' insteed mah mum fought 'im tae protect me. En t'e end, Mor'Du died afta beaen crushed by eh stone henge.

"Aes t'e sun rose t'e next mornin', mah mum chaenged back intae 'er human form an' fur awhile, we lived en peace agaen. Tha' waes 'till mah mum suddenly began tae push me tae be more social, an' tae hang owt wi' boys tha' waurnae mah brothers. She wuid point owt boys. Ah quickly became uncomfortable. Et waes like she haed completely furgotten t'e bear accident. Tou weeks agae she tould me tha' she wuid stert settin' oop dates. Ah finally tould 'er hou Ah felt aboot t'e subject an' she snapped at me. Ah cuidnae handle et anymore. Ah finally ran away. Ah fleaed intae t'e Glenn whaur ah came across eh portal that' brought me haur."

Hiccup gave her a thoughtful look. Her story was a lot to take in. however, there was one thing that he concluded on top of it all. She despised being forced to marry as much as he despised eventually becoming chief of Berk. He nodded. "I understand." Was all he could really speak.

It was silent for a minute. "Sae, ye an' Astrid waur eh thang?" Merida asked. When Hiccup had told her his story, he had told her about his friends back on Berk. He told her about Fishlegs, the nerd of the group. He knew everything there was to know about dragons. Fishlegs owned a Gronckle named Meatlug. He told her about the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and their Hideous Zippleback, Barf and Belch. He then told her about his distant cousin Snotlout and his Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang. Finally, he told her about Astrid and her Deadly Nadder, Stormfly.

However, just as Merida hadn't told them that she was a princess, Hiccup hadn't told her the whole truth about him and Astrid. Hiccup sadly smirked. "For a while." He paused. "After the battle of the Red death, and after I healed, Astrid and I were together for several months. And then things started to change. She kept her distance and she soon seemed to get along with Snotlout, of all people. After a month of this, she dumped me and only a few days later, Snotlout seized the opportunity and asked her out." His gaze lowered.

"Ah'm sorry." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright." He sadly shrugged. "I'm finally getting over it." Toothless sank to the ground, glancing down at the pair. "Hey, bud." Hiccup patted the dragon's large head. Toothless cooed. Merida placed her pale hand on the other side of Toothless' head.

Merida suddenly frowned. "Whit 're we goan' tae dae?"

Hiccup lowered his gaze and deeply sighed. "I don't know." He choked on the thick air, breathing in the prevailing darkness.


End file.
